Qualitative Revision

1. Overview of Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research

• Qualitative Research
  • Focuses on answering "why" questions
  • Uses words to understand experiences
  • Emphasizes understanding the world through others' perspectives
  • Examples: Descriptive phenomenology, ethnography
• Quantitative Research
  • Focuses on testing hypotheses between variables
  • Answers questions with numerical elements
  • Example: Statistical analysis (Ellis 2022)

2. Descriptive Phenomenology

• Definition: Study of lived experiences, focusing on a group's day-to-day experiences
• Origin: Philosophical roots with Edmund Husserl; expanded by Heidegger and Van Manen
• Usage: Suitable for studying first-time mothers' breastfeeding experiences within 3 months of birth
  • Researchers enter with an open mind, gather descriptions of full-range experiences
  • Beneficial for understanding mothers' feelings and breastfeeding experiences

Interpretive Phenomenology

• Developed by: Heidegger
• Focus: Understanding and discovering wisdom from lived experiences

Bracketing

• Definition: Process of identifying preconceived notions and setting them aside
• Purpose: Maintain an open mind and remove bias (Moule, 2016)

3. Ethnography

• Definition: Writing about people and culture; describes how culture influences behavior
• Fieldwork: Researcher immerses in the environment being studied
• Example: Studying the impact of a youth club on depression and anxiety

Tacit Knowledge

• Definition: Knowledge difficult to communicate; gained through experience and interaction
• Importance: Understanding informal social interactions and relationships (Ellis 2022)

Data Collection in Ethnography

• Approach: Immersion in the environment and repeated observations
• Purpose: Gain emic perspective, document cultural norms
• Outcome: Thick description analyzing group culture (Moule, 2016)

Grounded Theory

• Purpose: Generate theories from observed data
• Process: Uses deductive reasoning to develop hypotheses
• Application: Understanding the introduction of tablets in older populations during COVID

Theoretical Sampling

• Definition: Starts with initial participants, expands as concepts emerge
• Purpose: Develops interpretation over time (Moule 2016)

Constant Comparative Analysis

• Definition: Ongoing comparison of data to find patterns
• Process: Iterative, refines emerging theories (Corbin and Strauss, 2015)

Statistics

• Nominal: Categories without order (e.g., gender, religion)
• Ordinal: Ordered categories (e.g., education level)
• Scale: Equal intervals between values (e.g., temperature)

Correlation

• Strongest/Weakest: Determined by absolute value of correlation numbers
• Cohen and Holliday Guidelines:
  • Very weak: ≤.19
  • Weak: .20-.39
  • Modest: .40-.69
  • Strong: .70-.89
  • Very strong: .90-1.0

P Value

• Significance: P < .5 = significant; P > .5 = not significant

Ethics in Research

• Belmont Report Principles: Respect, Beneficence, Justice
• Respect: Informed consent without coercion
• Beneficence: Aim to benefit participants and society
• Justice: No discrimination; prioritize participants' interests (Beauchamp and Childress, 2013)

Study Plans for Postnatal Depression Intervention

• Design: Pre-test post-test intervention with Beck’s Depression Inventory
• Informed Consent: Detailed explanation, individual consent for each part, right to withdraw
• Anonymity: Use unique study numbers
• Confidentiality: Restricted data access, secure storage

Risks and Benefits

• Risks: Potential distress, confidentiality breaches

• Benefits: Shared experiences, understanding feelings, symptom reduction

• Ensure confidentiality and anonymity to protect participants’ privacy in qualitative interviews