Using Qualitative & Quantitative Research Methods to Answer your Research Questions

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Using Qualitative &

Quantitative Research Methods to Answer your

Research Questions

Elena T. Carbone, DrPH, RD, LDN

Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition Director, Community-Engaged Research Program

University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Outline

 Background

 Integration of qualitative and quantitative methods

 Using qualitative methods to design

a research study

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Background

 Quantitative Methods

 Qualitative Methods

What do you think of when you see these terms?

How do they compare?

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Background

Quantitative

 Deductive

Qualitative

 Inductive

.

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Background

Quantitative

 Deductive

1. Focus on testing existing theory

Qualitative

 Inductive

1. Focus on generating new theory

Excerpted from: http://deborahgabriel.com/2013/03/17/inductive-and-deductive-approaches-to-research/

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Background

Quantitative

 Deductive

1. Focus on testing existing theory

2. Usually begins with hypotheses

Qualitative

 Inductive

1. Focus on generating new theory

2. Used to form hypotheses

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Background

Quantitative

 Deductive

1. Focus on testing existing theory

2. Usually begins with hypotheses

3. Focus on causality

Qualitative

 Inductive

1. Focus on generating new theory

2. Used to form hypotheses 3. Focus on new phenomena

or examining previously researched phenomena from a new perspective

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Background

Quantitative

 Deductive

1. Focus on testing existing theory

2. Usually begins with hypotheses

3. Focus on causality

4. This method uses deduction to test

hypotheses & theories

Qualitative

 Inductive

1. Focus on generating new theory

2. Used to form hypotheses

3. Focus on new phenomena or examining previously

researched phenomena from a new perspective

4. This method is used to make broad generalizations from specific observations

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Background

Quantitative

 Deductive

 Measurement tends to be objective

• numerical information derived from statistical interpretations of data that can be

mathematically manipulated and understood

Qualitative

 Inductive

 Measurement tends to be subjective

• data derived mainly through sensory

observations and

overall impressions of a particular phenomena

Adapted from: Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods by Michael Quinn Patton

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Background

Quantitative

 Deductive

 Objective measurement

 Reliable (technology = instrument)

• numerical information collected via high tech machines or numerical analysis of self-report surveys with scaled answers that are mathematically manipulated and understood

Qualitative

 Inductive

 Subjective measurement

 Valid (self = instrument)

• requires researchers to serve as one of the

measuring instruments;

his/her perspective will be informed by individual

perceptions, norms, and personal meaning

attributed to observed events

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Background

Quantitative

 Deductive

 Objective measurement

 Reliable

 Generalizable

• Outsider’s perspective

• Population-oriented

Qualitative

 Inductive

 Subjective measurement

 Valid

 Not generalizable

• Insider’s perspective

• Case-oriented

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Qualitative and quantitative approaches appear to be very

different…

…but are they?

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 Qualitative data can be coded and reported quantitatively (but be

careful!)

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 Avoid over counting

• NO: 3 women said this…6 women said that…10 women said something else.

• YES: Most women said…

 Use tables to display data and define what “most”

means

 Avoid misleading counting

• Avoid use of % to describe small samples

 Can be highly misleading with small samples

 May be required by some journals

• Rule of thumb: If total sample <25 cases, give actual numbers

Sandelowski. Research in Nursing & Health. 2001;24:230-240.

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 Quantitative data are based on

quality judgments.

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 Quantitative data are based on quality judgments.

• Numbers can’t fully be interpreted without understanding underlying assumptions.

• Example:

 Patient flow in the orthopedic unit is 38%

slower than other units in the hospital.

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Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative

Model 1

Qualitative methods used to help develop quantitative measures and instruments.

Steckler et al. Health Education Quarterly. 1992;19(1):5.

QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS

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Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative

Model 1

Qualitative methods used to help develop quantitative measures and instruments.

Steckler et al. Health Education Quarterly. 1992;19(1):5; *Carbone et al. Patient Educ Counsel. 2007;66(2):202-10.

QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS

Example

*Qualitative: FGs with patients, staff, and physicians at a community health center (CHC) identifies recurring barriers to diabetes self-

management.

Quantitative: FG data used to design a survey of CHC patients and health

care providers to identify and prioritize most common barriers; collect

clinical data (HgA1C, etc.)

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Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative

Model 2

Qualitative methods used to help explain quantitative findings.

QUALITATIVE

QUANTITATIVE RESULTS

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Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative

Model 2

Qualitative methods used to help explain quantitative findings.

Steckler et al. Health Education Quarterly. 1992;19(1):5; Brennan Olson & Carbone. Food Protection Trends. 2011;3(2):93-103.

QUALITATIVE

QUANTITATIVE RESULTS

Example

Quantitative: National data reveals a trend of lower test scores on mandatory food safety certification exams among school food service managers.

Qualitative: In-depth interviews with a subgroup of school food service

managers to determine reasons underlying declining scores.

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Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative

Model 3

Quantitative methods used to embellish a primarily qualitative study.

QUALITATIVE

QUANTITATIVE

RESULTS

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Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative

Model 3

Quantitative methods used to embellish a primarily qualitative study.

Steckler et al. Health Education Quarterly. 1992;19(1):5; *Glanz, Carbone, Song. Health Education Research 1999;14(2),155-166.

QUALITATIVE

QUANTITATIVE

RESULTS

Example

*Qualitative: Observations of school-aged children at community pools reveals lack of sunscreen use by parents/guardians.

Quantitative: Survey parents and guardians to identify knowledge

and attitudes about sunscreen use.

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Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative

Model 4

Qualitative and quantitative methods are used equally and in parallel.

QUALITATIVE RESULTS QUANTITATIVE

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Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative

Model 4

Qualitative and quantitative methods are used equally and in parallel.

Steckler et al. Health Education Quarterly. 1992;19(1):5; *Carbone et al. to be submitted to Preventive Medicine

QUALITATIVE RESULTS QUANTITATIVE

Example

Qualitative: Key informant interviews with community leaders to assess knowledge, awareness, and level of commitment to a

community-wide public health promotion campaign.

*Quantitative: Survey of community members to assess knowledge,

awareness, and level of commitment to a community-wide public

health promotion campaign.

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Maxwell JA (1996) Qualitative Research Design. Thousands Oak: SAGE Publications

Use of Qualitative Methods to Design Research

Purpose

Research Questions

Conceptual Context

Validity

Methods

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Understanding …

 Meaning

 Context

 Process/es

Identifying …

 Unanticipated

phenomenon and influences

 Causal explanations

Purpose

Why are you doing this

study?

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What do you think is going on?

 Assumptions

 Expectations

 Beliefs

Purpose Conceptual

Context

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Literature Reviews

 Learn about the topic.

 Learn about the theoretical

assumptions and methods that produce the results.

 Learn the tools for documenting, linking, sorting and storing

information.

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Purpose

Research Questions

Conceptual Concept

What do you want to

understand?

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Purpose

Research Questions

Conceptual Concept

Methods

What will actually you

do?

 Where?

 When?

 Who?

 How?

 How much?

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Morse J and Richards L (2002) README FIRST: For a user's guide to qualitative methods. Thousands Oak: SAGE Publications

Fit Questions with Methods

Qualitative Methods Ethnography:

Research methods that observe social systems, behaviors, cultures, social life (activities of

daily living).

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Fit Questions with Methods

Methods

Ethnography:

Research methods that observe social systems, behaviors, cultures, social life (activities of

daily living).

Phenomenology:

Study of individuals’ emotions, attitudes, thoughts, meanings, perceptions and

experiences during or after experiencing a

phenomenon.

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Phenomenology

 The study of “phenomena”

• appearances of things,

• things as they appear in our experience,

• the ways we experience things (e.g.

coping, anger management, etc.)

It refers to the meanings that things have in our lived experience.

Excerpted from: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phenomenology/

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Fit Questions with Methods

Methods

Ethnography:

Research methods that observe social systems, behaviors, cultures, social life (activities of daily living).

Phenomenology:

Study of individuals’ emotions, attitudes,

thoughts, meanings, perceptions and experiences during or after experiencing a phenomenon.

Grounded theory:

Systematic evaluation of qualitative data to

generate theories.

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Grounded Theory

 Requires extensive and repeated examination of data.

 Analyses and re-analyses of the data is required multiple times to identify emergent theory.

 Best suited to research studies where a phenomena has not

previously been examined.

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Fit Questions with Methods

Question

 What are the

behaviors of ___?

Methods

Ethnography

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Fit Questions with Methods

Question

 What are the

behaviors of ___?

 What is the meaning of ____?

Methods

Ethnography

Phenomenology

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Fit Questions with Methods

Question

 What are the

behaviors of ___?

 What is the meaning of ____?

 What is the process of _____?

Methods

Ethnography

Phenomenology

Grounded theory

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Fit Methods with Type of Data

Selected Method 1. Ethnography

2. Phenomenology 3. Grounded theory

Data Sources

Participant observation, field notes,

unstructured or structured interviews,

audio or videotapes, documents, records,

photographs, maps, focus groups

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Fit Methods with Type of Data

Selected Method 1. Ethnography

2. Phenomenology 3. Grounded theory

Data Sources

Participant observation, field notes,

unstructured or structured interviews,

audio or videotapes, documents, records, photographs, maps, focus groups

In-depth interviews, audiotapes, examine

phenomenological literature, poetry, arts,

films

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Fit Methods with Type of Data

Selected Method 1. Ethnography

2. Phenomenology 3. Grounded theory

Data Sources

Participant observation, field notes,

unstructured or structured interviews,

audio or videotapes, documents, records, photographs, maps, focus groups

In-depth interviews, audiotaped, examine phenomenological literature, poetry, arts, films

Audiotaped interviews, participant and non- participant observations recorded in

diaries, field notes, personal experiences

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Fit Method, Data and Analytical Techniques

Method

 Primary data

 Secondary data

Data Source/Type Analysis

observations, deep descriptions,

field notes, rereading notes, interviews, case analysis,

focus groups coding

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Fit Method, Data and Analytical Techniques

Method

 Primary data

 Secondary data

Data Source/Type Analysis

observations, deep descriptions,

field notes, rereading notes, interviews, case analysis,

focus groups coding

documents, coding, recording notes, archival data diagramming or

modeling to show

patterns and processes

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Purposes

Research Questions

Conceptual Concept

Validity Methods

What

might you be doing

wrong?

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Threats to Validity

 Theory

• Ignore alternative explanations of the phenomena you are studying.

 Description

• Inaccuracy or incompleteness of the data.

 Interpretation

• Imposing one’s own perspective or meaning

rather than the experience of participants.

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Contextual Factors Influencing a Research Design

Purpose

Research Questions

Validity Methods

Conceptual Context

Personal and Political Goals

Participants Concerns Funding

Ethical Standards

Setting

Personal

Style Researcher Skills Research Paradigm

Perceived

Problems Personal

Experience

Existing Theory Prior and

Pilot Research

Data and

Conclusions

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Steps to Consider in the Design Process

 Step 1: Literature review

 Step 2: Methodological approach

 Step 3: Research setting

 Step 4: Sampling scheme, protocols and procedures

 Step 5: Field work

 Step 6: Management of data

 Step 7: Application of analytic techniques

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References

1.

Steckler A, et al. Toward Integrating qualitative and quantitative methods:

An introduction. Health Education Quarterly. 1992; 19:1-8.

2.

http://deborahgabriel.com/2013/03/17/inductive-and-deductive- approaches-to-research/

3.

Patton MQ (2012). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods, 3

^rd

ed.

Thousands Oak: SAGE Publications.

4.

Carbone ET, et al. Diabetes self-management: Perspectives of Latino

patients and their health care providers. Patient Education and Counseling.

2007;May;66(2):202-10.

5.

Brennan Olson B and Carbone ET. Examining the Exam: Implications for participants and policies makers of the food manager certification exam.

Food Protection Trends. 2011;3(2):93-103.

6.

Glanz K, Carbone E, Song V. Formative research for developing targeted skin cancer prevention programs for children in multiethnic Hawai’i. Health Education Research. 1999;14(2),155-166.

7.

Sandelowski. Research in Nursing & Health. 2001;24:230-240.

8.

Maxwell JA (1996) Qualitative Research Design. Thousands Oak: SAGE Publications

9.

Morse J and Richards L (2002) README FIRST: For a user's guide to qualitative methods. Thousands Oak: SAGE Publications

9.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phenomenology/