Deck 12: Understanding Mixed Methods Research, Quality Improvement, and Other Special Types of Research

Question 1

A critical concern for qualitative researchers in their sampling decisions is which of the following?

A) Obtaining a sample that is representative of the population under study
B) Accessing information-rich sources of data
C) Recruiting a sample that can facilitate saturation quickly and efficiently
D) Obtaining a sample with high potential for generalizability

Answer 1

Accessing information-rich sources of data

Question 2

Which of the following statements about sampling in qualitative research is true?

A) Convenience sampling is considered the most appropriate method of selecting sample members.
B) Larger samples are considered more rigorous than smaller samples.
C) Using randomness in the sampling process is desirable.
D) The type of sampling approach can change and evolve over the course of data collection.

Answer 2

The type of sampling approach can change and evolve over the course of data collection.

Question 3

Theoretical sampling is most likely to be used by which of the following?

A) Ethnographers
B) Grounded theory researchers
C) Phenomenologists
D) Qualitative descriptive researchers

Answer 3

Grounded theory researchers

Question 4

Which of the following is a type of purposive sampling? Select all that apply.

A) Extreme case sampling
B) Maximum variation sampling
C) Snowball sampling
D) Typical case sampling

Question 5

Near the end of data collection, qualitative researchers may employ the technique of sampling which of the following?

A) Criterion cases
B) Deviant cases
C) Typical cases
D) Disconfirming cases

Question 6

Which of the following statements about sampling is true?

A) Convenience sampling is used by both qualitative and quantitative researchers.
B) Quantitative researchers establish eligibility criteria, but qualitative researchers do not.
C) Extreme case sampling is a type of theoretical sampling.
D) Focus groups would not be used in qualitative descriptive studies.

Question 7

Samples of ten or fewer study participants would be most likely to be found in which of the following?

A) Phenomenological study
B) Grounded theory study
C) Ethnography
D) Participatory action study

Question 8

In which of the following types of studies would the principle of data saturation be used? Select all that apply.

A) Grounded theory study
B) Ethnography
C) Phenomenological study
D) Clinical trial

Question 9

Which of the following data collection approaches is conducted with a group of 5 to 10 people simultaneously?

A) Photo elicitation interview
B) Focused interview
C) Critical incidents interview
D) Focus group interview

Question 10

Which of the following data collection approaches is most likely to use a topic guide?

A) A completely unstructured interview
B) A focus group interview
C) A critical incidents interview
D) Participant observation

Question 11

A grand tour question is most likely to be used at which time?

A) At the beginning of a focus group session
B) At the end of a critical incident interview
C) At the beginning of an unstructured interview
D) At the end of a photo elicitation study

Question 12

Which of the following statements about data collection in qualitative research is true? Select all that apply.

A) When interviewing participants, qualitative researchers do not tend to ask their questions in any predetermined order.
B) Unstructured observational data are often gathered in field settings through participant observation.
C) Ethnographers usually gather their data using both observation and self-reports.
D) The data for an unstructured interview are most likely to be in the form of field notes that the researcher records immediately after the interview has been completed.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about participant observation is true?

A) Participant observers must maintain the same level of participation throughout the study.
B) In a participant observation study, participants are observed but not questioned.
C) Participant observers may use single, multiple, or mobile positioning.
D) Participant observers most commonly record their observations by videotaping all events and transactions that they observe.

Question 14

Which of the following are types of notes maintained by a participant observer? Select all that apply.

A) Descriptive notes
B) Participatory action notes
C) Reflective notes
D) Methodologic notes

Question 15

Which of the following is characteristic of qualitative research? Select all that apply.

A) Uncovering multiple realities
B) Finding meaning in an experience
C) Generalizing results to a target population
D) Using non-random sampling

Question 16

Which of the following is true regarding qualitative and quantitative research?

A) Quantitative research and qualitative research both develop eligibility criteria before consenting study participants.
B) Quantitative research and qualitative research both use random samples whenever possible, to enhance the ability to predict within a wider population.
C) Quantitative research and qualitative research both determine sample size in the same manner.
D) Quantitative research and qualitative research both prefer a large sample to a small one, because it produces stronger statistical results.

Question 17

A difficulty identified with convenience sampling is which of the following?

A) The participants do not meet the conceptual needs of the study
B) It is not economical
C) It is not efficient
D) The participants may not produce the depth of information needed

Question 18

Qualitative researchers often count on recruiting by referral, which is called which of the following?

A) Convenience sampling
B) Snowball sampling
C) Volunteer sampling
D) Purposive sampling

Question 19

A qualitative researcher who is attempting to provide findings from multiple diverse viewpoints on a phenomenon would most likely subscribe to which of the following?

A) Deviant case sampling
B) Typical case sampling
C) Criterion case sampling
D) Confirming case sampling

Question 20

A qualitative researcher identifies trends in the phenomenon being studied, yet several new cases received through a snowball sampling effort have divergent views of the phenomenon. These new cases are referred to as which of the following?

A) Confirming cases
B) Disconfirming cases
C) Purposive cases
D) Typical cases

Question 21

When developing a theory, a nurse researcher uses theoretical sampling to do which of the following?

A) To find cases that meet a predetermined criterion of importance
B) To learn from the most unusual and extreme informants
C) To gain new informants via referrals from other informants
D) To choose sampling groups that will further the emerging conceptualization

Question 22

Data saturation occurs when which of the following happens?

A) Researchers can find no new participants that fit the criteria
B) All the research questions are answered
C) No new information is obtained and redundancy is achieved
D) Participants are describing new concepts

Question 23

What is the purpose of choosing key informants in ethnographic research studies? Select all that apply.

A) To facilitate recruiting more participants to the study
B) To guide the researcher culturally
C) To identify important events
D) To provide a knowledgeable link to the culture

Question 24

Which of the following are key principles that guide the selection of a sample for a phenomenological study? Select all that apply.

A) The participant must be able to articulate what it was like to have lived the experience.
B) The participant must have considerable knowledge of the phenomenon being studied.
C) The participant must be someone who is closely associated with someone who has experienced the phenomenon.
D) The participant must have experienced the phenomenon being studied.

Question 25

Which of the following would be the most appropriate reason to adjust the sampling method in a grounded theory study as it unfolds?

A) To better evaluate emerging conceptualizations
B) To support past descriptions of the phenomenon
C) To increase the availability of participants
D) To postpone data saturation

Question 26

When collecting data through interviews, qualitative researchers rely primarily on which of the following?

A) A priori ideas
B) Structured questions
C) Supplemental physiological data
D) Self-report

Question 27

A phenomenological researcher is interviewing a participant who has lived through a hurricane. Which of the following is the best example of a grand tour question appropriate to ask this participant?

A) Why did you not evacuate the area when instructed to do so?
B) What kind of damage did your home sustain?
C) What was it like to live through a hurricane?
D) How many fatalities occurred in your state due to the hurricane?