introduction to qualitative methods

Epistemology - theory of knowledge

Inductive logic: building knowledge from the bottom up through observations of the world which in turn provides the basis for developing theories
Deductive logic: top-down approach to knowledge, starts with a theory from which a hypothesis is derived and applied to observations about the world
- The hypothesis will then be confirmed or rejected, thereby strengthening or weakening the theory

Aim to provide in-depth understanding of the social world of research participants by learning about the sense they make of their social and material circumstances, their experiences, perspectives and histories
Use of non-standardised, adaptable methods for data generation that are sensitive to the social context of the study and can be adapted for each participant or case to allow the exploration of emergent issues
Data that are detailed, rich and complex

Contextual - what exists in the social world and the way it manifests itself
- How do clinicians interact with patients?
Explanatory - examining the reasons for, or associations between, what works
- e.g. What influences people’s beliefs about vaccines?
Evaluative - appraising the effectiveness of what exists
- How well do things work?
Generative - aiding the development of theories, strategies or actions
- e.g innovative schemes to provide effective social support for older people living alone

Purposive sampling: sampling is criterion-based
- Sample units (people or groups) chosen with particular features or characteristics
Homogeneous sampling: individuals who belong to same groups
Heterogeneous or maximum variation sampling: deliberate strategy to include cases which vary widely from each other
Extreme case sampling: cases are chosen because they are unusual or special and therefore potentially very enlightening
Convenience sampling: selection made purely on the basis of who is available
Snowball sampling: individuals identifying others to participate
Opportunistic sampling: whoever is there