1. Qualitative Research Design

2. Questions for Thought
What are the three types of qualitative research traditions that have been especially useful for nurse researchers?

3. Design of Qualitative Studies
Study design typically evolves over the course of the study
Emergent design: a design that emerges as the researcher makes ongoing decisions reflecting what has already been learned

4. Design of Qualitative Studies
Study is based on the realities and viewpoints of those under study

5. Design of Qualitative Studies
Characteristics of Qualitative Research Design
Usually choose topics poorly understood or little is known about them
Flexible, ability to adjust as needed
Use various data collection strategies
Holistic
Researcher very involved, usually in the field
Researcher becomes the research instrument
Requires ongoing analysis throughout data collection

6. Qualitative Design Characteristics of Qualitative Research Design
Do not have independent and dependent variables
Do not develop hypothesis but the findings are often used in quantitative research hypotheses formulation
Do not pose refined research questions, have broad research question
They usually don’t control or manipulate any variables
Don’t make group comparisons
Design is usually nonexperimental
Can be cross-sectional or longitudinal
Can have multiple data collection points over time

7. Planning of Qualitative Studies
Researcher Plans for the Study by Determining:
Which research tradition will be used
Study site or setting
Determine who are the gatekeepers
Time and resources available
Required equipment

8. Qualitative Design Research Setting Real-world Naturalistic settings
In the field
May study phenomena in a variety of settings

9. Qualitative Research Traditions
1. Ethnography
2. Phenomenology
3. Grounded Theory

10. Qualiative Research Traditions: Ethnography
Focuses on the culture of a group of people
CULTURAL BEHAVIOUR (what they do)
CULTURAL ARTIFACTS (what they make and use)
CULTURAL SPEECH (what they say)
Every human group evolves a culture that guides members’
view of the world and cultural values
Researcher learns from the culture versus studying the culture
Can be viewed from macroethnography (broad) or microethnography (narrow) focus

11. Qualitative Research Traditions: Ethnography
Emic perspective
The way the members of the culture envision their world, insiders’ view
Etic perspective
The outsider's interpretation of the experiences of that culture
Ethnographers attempt to gain an emic perspective

12. Qualitative Research Traditions: Ethnography
Researchers may spend years with a culture as an active participant
Researcher as instrument
As the researcher plays a significant role in analyzing and interpreting a culture

13. Qualitative Research Traditions: Ethnography
Collect data through
Observation
In-depth interviews
Records and charts
Photographs
Diaries
Usually 25 to 50 informants

14. Qualitative Research Traditions: Phenomenology
Focuses on the lived experience
Interpreting and understanding human experience
What people experience in regard to a phenomenon and how they interpret (perceive) those experiences
i.e. meaning of stress, experience of bereavement, quality of life in chronic illness

15. Qualitative Research Traditions: Phenomenology
Phenomenology attempts to understand and describe
Spatiality – lived space
Corporeality – lived body
Temporality – lived time
Relationality – lived human relations

16. Qualitative Research Traditions: Phenomenology
Steps of study process
Bracketing
Identifying preconceived beliefs and opinions in attempts to view the data without bias
Intuiting
Researcher is open to alternative meanings
Analyzing
Categorizing and making sense of the meanings of the phenomenon
Describing
Researcher understands and defines the phenomenon

17. Qualitative Research Traditions: Phenomenology
Collect data through
In-depth conversations
Usually 10 or fewer informants

18. Qualitative Research Traditions: Grounded Theory
Study's the social processes and social structures
Assesses the manner in which people make sense of social interactions and the interpretations they attach to social symbols
Purpose is to generate explanations of phenomena that are grounded in reality
Uses the data to provide an explanation of events as they occur in reality
i.e. study process used by mothers to cope with the stress of managing multiple responsibilities

19. Qualitative Research Traditions: Grounded Theory
Data collecting, analysis and sampling of participants occur simultaneously
Constant comparison – categories are developed from the data are constantly compared with data obtained eariler

20. Qualitative Research Traditions: Grounded Theory
Collect data through
In-depth conversations
Observation
Existing documents
Usually 25 to 50 informants

21. Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
Integrated designs
A research design that integrates qualitative and quantitative methodologies and data
Can be in a single study or a cluster of studies

22. Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
Integration Strategies
Embedding qualitative approaches within a survey
Embedding quantitative measures into field work
Qualitative data in experimental and quasi-experimental research

23. Reference
Loiselle, C. G., Profetto-McGrath, J., Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2011). Canadian essentials of nursing research. (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.