Which qualitative method focuses on description and interpretation of cultural behavior?

Which qualitative method focuses on description and interpretation of cultural behavior?

Nội dung chính

  • 5 Types of Qualitative Research Methods
  • Quantitative design methods
  • Qualitative design methods
  • Which type of qualitative research focuses on the study of culture?
  • What are the 4 types of qualitative research?
  • What type of qualitative research method would be used to describe and interpret a culture?
  • What type of qualitative research is a study of certain cultural group to get a clear understanding of its organizational setup internal operations and lifestyle?

5 Types of Qualitative Research Methods

Qualitative research is the process of acquiring data by studying subjects in their natural habitat. The focus is on understanding the why and how of human behaviour in situations, and is defined as a scientific research method to obtain non-numerical data.

Qualitative research is subjective in nature:
• Methods are designed to understand the lives of participants.
• The process is maintained on neutral lines without placing judgement on individual responses.
• Focus areas are cultures, societies and individuals.

Types of Qualitative Research methods:

1. Ethnography
Ethnography, one of the most popular methods of qualitative research, involves the researcher embedding himself or herself into the daily life and routine of the subject or subjects. Either as an active participant or an observer, the researcher experiences their customs, traditions, mannerisms, reactions to situations etc. first hand, sometimes for years. Geographical constraints could be a hindrance for the researcher.

Example of application: This on-the-field method can help companies in assessing how consumers use certain products or services, and accordingly develop new products or revamp existing products.

2. Narrative
In the Narrative method of qualitative research, the researcher gathers data or facts from one or two subjects through interviews, documents etc. over a period of time. Based on a theme, these are then pieced together (not necessarily in the same sequence) to derive answers and suggestions.

Example of application: A business can use this method to understand challenges faced by their target audience that can in turn be utilised for innovation and development of products.

3. Phenomenology
The Phenomenology qualitative research method is used to study an event or activity as it happens, from various angles. Using interviews, videos, on-site visits etc., one can add on to existing information using perspectives and insights from the participants themselves about the activity or event. It is primarily an experience or perception based research method.

Example of application: Universities can rely on this method to understand how students make their choices about applying to universities/colleges.

4. Grounded Theory
Grounded theory starts with a question or collection of data. Through systematic data collection and analysis, repetitive ideas or elements are coded, and codes are grouped or categorised. New theories may be formed based on these categories.

Example of application: A product-based company can use this method to understand how their customers use their products or individual features of their product or products.

5. Case study
The case study method is used to gather in-depth and detailed information about a subject, which could be any entity, organisation, event or something larger like a country. The nature of this qualitative research method can be explanatory or exploratory.

Example of application: For a business, case studies are a useful tool to formulate strategies, understand influences, devise new methods etc.

With open-ended questions, qualitative research methods produce results that are descriptive and inferences that are useful in breaking down complex problems into simpler components. The onus is on the researcher – he or she can change the course of the research based on the responses from or observations of the subjects.

Quantitative is measurable. It is often associated with a more traditional scientific method of gathering data in an organized, objective manner so that findings can be generalized to other persons or populations. Quantitative designs are based on probabilities or likelihood—it utilizes ‘p’ values, power analysis, and other scientific methods to ensure the rigor and reproducibility of the results to other populations. Quantitative designs can be experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive, or correlational.

Qualitative is usually more subjective, although like quantitative research, it also uses a systematic approach. Qualitative research is generally preferred when the clinical question centers around life experiences or meaning. Qualitative research explores the complexity, depth, and richness of a particular situation from the perspective of the informants—referring to the person or persons providing the information. This may be the patient, the patient’s caregivers, the patient’s family members, etc. The information may also come from the investigator’s or researcher’s observations. At the heart of qualitative research is the belief that reality is based on perceptions and can be different for each person, often changing over time.

Quantitative design methods

Quantitative designs typically fall into four categories: experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive, or correlational. Let’s talk about these different types. But before we begin, we need to briefly review the difference between independent and dependent variables.

The independent variable is the variable that is being manipulated, or the one that varies. It is sometimes called the ‘predictor’ or ‘treatment’ variable.

The dependent variable is the outcome (or response) variable. Changes in the dependent variables are presumed to be caused or influenced by the independent variable.

Experimental

In experimental designs, there are often treatment groups and control groups. This study design looks for cause and effect (if A, then B), so it requires having control over at least one of the independent, or treatment variables. Experimental design administers the treatment to some of the subjects (called the ‘experimental group’) and not to others (called the ‘control group’). Subjects are randomly assigned—meaning that they would have an equal chance of being assigned to the control group or the experimental group. This is the strongest design for testing cause and effect relationships because randomization reduces bias. In fact, most researchers believe that a randomized controlled trail is the only kind of research study where we can infer cause (if A, then B). The difficulty with a randomized controlled trial is that the results may not be generalizable in all circumstances with all patient populations, so as with any research study, you need to consider the application of the findings to your patients in your setting. 

Quasi-experimental

Quasi-Experimental studies also seek to identify a cause and effect (causal) relationship, although they are less powerful than experimental designs. This is because they lack one or more characteristics of a true experiment. For instance, they may not include random assignment or they may not have a control group. As is often the case in the ‘real world’, clinical care variables often cannot be controlled due to ethical, practical, or fiscal concerns. So, the quasi experimental approach is utilized when a randomized controlled trial is not possible. For example, if it was found that the new treatment stopped disease progression, it would no longer be ethical to withhold it from others by establishing a control group.

Descriptive

Descriptive studies give us an accurate account of the characteristics of a particular situation or group. They are often used to determine how often something occurs, the likelihood of something occurring, or to provide a way to categorize information. For example, let’s say we wanted to look at the visiting policy in the ICU and describe how implementing an open-visiting policy affected nurse satisfaction. We could use a research tool, such as a Likert scale (5 = very satisfied and 1 = very dissatisfied), to help us gain an understanding of how satisfied nurses are as a group with this policy.

Correlational

Correlational research involves the study of the relationship between two or more variables. The primary purpose is to explain the nature of the relationship, not to determine the cause and effect. For example, if you wanted to examine whether first-time moms who have an elective induction are more likely to have a cesarean birth than first-time moms who go into labor naturally, the independent variables would be ‘elective induction’ and ‘go into labor naturally’ (because they are the variables that ‘vary’) and the outcome variable is ‘cesarean section.’ Even if you find a strong relationship between elective inductions and an increased likelihood of cesarean birth, you cannot state that elective inductions ‘cause’ cesarean births because we have no control over the variables. We can only report an increased likelihood.   

Qualitative design methods

Qualitative methods delve deeply into experiences, social processes, and subcultures. Qualitative study generally falls under three types of designs: phenomenology, ethnography and grounded theory.

Phenomenology

In this approach, we want to understand and describe the lived experience or meaning of persons with a particular condition or situation. For example, phenomenological questions might ask “What is it like for an adolescent to have a younger sibling with a terminal illness?” or “What is the lived experience of caring for an older house-bound dependent parent?”

Ethnography

Ethnographic studies focus on the culture of a group of people. The assumption behind ethnographies is that groups of individuals evolve into a kind of ‘culture’ that guides the way members of that culture or group view the world. In this kind of study, the research focuses on participant observation, where the researcher becomes an active participant in that culture to understand its experiences. For example, nursing could be considered a professional culture, and the unit of a hospital can be viewed as a subculture. One example specific to nursing culture was a study done in 2006 by Deitrick and colleagues. They used ethnographic methods to examine problems related to answering patient call lights on one medical surgical inpatient unit. The single nursing unit was the ‘culture’ under study.

Grounded theory

Grounded theory research begins with a general research problem, selects persons most likely to clarify the initial understanding of the question, and uses a variety of techniques (interviewing, observation, document review to name a few) to discover and develop a theory. For example, one nurse researcher used a grounded theory approach to explain how African American women from different socioeconomic backgrounds make decisions about mammography screening. Because African American women historically have fewer mammograms (and therefore lower survival rates for later stage detection), understanding their decision-making process may help the provider support more effective health promotion efforts. 

This article originally appeared July 2, 2020. It was updated to reflect current practice on March 21, 2021.

Which type of qualitative research focuses on the study of culture?

Ethnography. The ethnographic approach to qualitative research comes largely from the field of anthropology. The emphasis in ethnography is on studying an entire culture.

What are the 4 types of qualitative research?

There are different types of qualitative research methods like an in-depth interview, focus groups, ethnographic research, content analysis, case study research that are usually used.

What type of qualitative research method would be used to describe and interpret a culture?

What type of qualitative research method would be used to describe and interpret a culture and cultural behavior? Ethnographic research was developed by the discipline of anthropology for investigating cultures through an in-depth study of the members of the culture.

What type of qualitative research is a study of certain cultural group to get a clear understanding of its organizational setup internal operations and lifestyle?

ETHNOGRAPHY - it is the study of a particular cultural group to get a clear understanding of its organizational set-up, internal operation, and lifestyle.

Which of the following qualitative research design focuses on the description and interpretation of cultural behavior?

Ethnographic studies are qualitative procedures utilized to describe, analyze and interpret a culture's characteristics.

What are the 4 types of qualitative research?

Qualitative research focuses on gaining insight and understanding about an individual's perception of events and circumstances. Six common types of qualitative research are phenomenological, ethnographic, grounded theory, historical, case study, and action research.

Which qualitative research methods are used to understand phenomena by studying people's accounts and actions in an everyday context?

Phenomenology is a form of qualitative research that focuses on the study of an individual's lived experiences within the world.

Which type of qualitative research is primarily concerned with understanding and describing human experience?

The authors note that qualitative research is primarily concerned understanding human beings' experi- ences in a humanistic, interpretive approach.