Evaluating a Qualitative Research Paper

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Evaluating a Qualitative Research Paper

• Allen F. Shaughnessy, PharmD

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Qualitative Research -- What is it?

• A style of research that focuses on understanding
  meaning rather than in generating numbers to be
  combined.
• Aims to provide understanding of the topic, which
  is usually human behavior
• Seeks to generate hypotheses or theories rather
  than conclusions or explanations

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Qualitative Research -- What is it?

• Like quantitative research
• Consists of question, evidence, assessment,
  findings, and drawing conclusions
• Unlike qualitative research
• It involves reflection on the data,
  reconceptualization midway through the research,
  subjectivity

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Quantitative Research Methodology

• Research question ?
• Hypothesis generation?
• Evidence collection ?
• Evidence analysis ?
• Interpretation ?
• . . . . . . . . . . . .Conclusions

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Qualitative Analysis

• Research question ?
• Collect evidence ?
• Understand the question

. . . . . . . . . . . .Conclusions
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Research Styles

• Case studies
• Ethnographic
• Focus groups
• Role playing
• In-depth surveys
• Discourse analysis
• Textual analysis

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Evaluating a Qualitative Research Article

• Step 1 Relevance
• Step 2 Validity
• Was the appropriate method used to answer the
  question?
• Perceptions Interviews, focus groups
• Behaviors Some type of observation

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Evaluating a Qualitative Research Article

• Was sampling appropriate and adequate?
• Random sampling not important
• Goal Enough subjects with enough different views
  or behaviors to provide sufficient information
• Not looking for generalizability
• Example utility in decision analysis
• Patients vs physicians as source

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Evaluating a Qualitative Research Article

• Was an iterative process used?
• Collect data -- analyze -- collect more data --
  analyze, . . .
• Example content analysis of the hypertension
  self-assessment module

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Evaluating a Qualitative Research Article

• Was a thorough analysis presented?
• Interpretation, subjective and value-laden, is
  important
• Researchers are part of the research

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Evaluating a Qualitative Research Article

• What is the background of the investigators?
• What lens are they looking through?
• Nurse vs physician vs anthropologist vs
  sociologist
• Not to judge, but to understand their biases