Deck 3: Introduction to the Qualitative Research Process

Question 1

The purpose of ethnographic research is to:

A) describe experiences as they are lived.
B) examine events of the past.
C) observe and document interactions within a culture.
D) study phenomena that contribute to theory development.

Answer 1

observe and document interactions within a culture.

Question 2

Which of the following is true about qualitative research?

A) A priori categories are established for analysis purposes.
B) Data are usually collected in a laboratory setting.
C) Focus is on studying the "whole."
D) Intuition and abstraction are suppressed.

Answer 2

Focus is on studying the "whole."

Question 3

Data collection in many types of qualitative studies is considered complete when:

A) the researcher reaches a point of where no new information is collected and theoretical ideas seem complete.
B) more than 15 subjects have provided information.
C) the researcher cannot find any additional potential subjects who fit the criteria for the study.
D) the researcher runs out of time or resources.

Answer 3

the researcher reaches a point of where no new information is collected and theoretical ideas seem complete.

Question 4

Analysis of data in qualitative studies attempts to:

A) identify common themes and patterns.
B) separate personal perceptions from environmental context.
C) support a single perception of reality.
D) verify information from previous studies.

Question 5

The purpose of grounded theory research is to:

A) describe experiences as they are lived.
B) examine events of the past.
C) observe and document interactions within a culture.
D) study phenomena that contribute to theory development.

Question 6

Qualitative research is based on which of the following?

A) A philosophy that all phenomena have antecedent causes
B) Logical positivist paradigm
C) Objective reality
D) The belief that multiple "truths" and "realities" exist

Question 7

The following research steps could be found in which type of qualitative research? Formulating an idea
Developing research questions
Developing an inventory of sources
Clarifying validity and reliability of sources

A) Ethnographic
B) Grounded theory
C) Historical
D) Phenomenological

Question 8

The following research steps could be found in which type of qualitative research? · Identification of the culture to be studied
· Gaining entrance
· Cultural immersion
· Acquiring informants
· Theory development

A) Ethnographic
B) Grounded theory
C) Historical
D) Phenomenological

Question 9

Ethnographic research focuses on:

A) gathering data about lived experiences of individuals.
B) trying to understand cultures from an emic perspective.
C) the use of etic perspectives in studying individual human behavior.
D) the use of techniques of bracketing and intuiting.

Question 10

The purpose of phenomenological research is to:

A) describe experiences as they are lived.
B) examine events of the past.
C) observe and document interactions within a culture.
D) study phenomena that contribute to theory development.

Question 11

External criticism of documents used in historical research asks which of the following questions?

A) Are the documents real or fraudulent?
B) Are the eyewitnesses who provided the information still living?
C) Is the document well known?
D) Is the information in the document interesting?

Question 12

There are many different approaches to qualitative research. What is one common thread that is evident in all types?

A) All come out of a sociological tradition.
B) Each type of qualitative research looks at the "lived experience" of the subjects.
C) The process in each kind is a little like working a puzzle and putting pieces together to make it whole.
D) They are all seeking to make sense of historical events.

Question 13

The main reason for not including qualitative studies in reviews for evidence-based practice is:

A) that it is difficult to evaluate qualitative studies.
B) that many topics do not have qualitative studies available.
C) the lack of rigor in qualitative research.
D) that there are not enough qualitative researchers.

Question 14

Which of the following methods would be most reasonable to use if a researcher is interested in finding out what it is like to live with a person who has a terminal illness?

A) Experimental methods
B) Forced-choice questionnaires
C) Phenomenological approach
D) Structured interviews

Question 15

A key factor in qualitative research is:

A) confidentiality.
B) internal validity.
C) random sampling.
D) researcher-participant relationship.

Question 16

The components of rigor in qualitative research are:

A) availability, bias, and significance.
B) openness and adherence to the philosophical orientation.
C) predicting, confidentiality, and anonymity.
D) sampling, partitioning, and setting.

Question 17

Which approach to generating knowledge is most represented by qualitative research?

A) Deductive logic
B) Inductive logic
C) Tradition
D) Trial and error

Question 18

The grounded theory method is concerned with:

A) developing theories and hypotheses.
B) establishing an emic perspective of research.
C) providing validity checks for constructs.
D) testing theories and hypotheses.

Question 19

Which of the following is a characteristic of phenomenological research methodology?

A) Bracketing
B) Comparison
C) Control
D) Objectivity

Question 20

Data for qualitative studies are:

A) based on words rather than numbers.
B) easy and straightforward to interpret.
C) gathered quickly from large numbers of people.
D) precisely analyzed on a computer.

Question 21

Which of the following statements regarding subjects in qualitative research shows the difference in the sample compared with samples in quantitative research? In qualitative research the:

A) participants are fully informed as to the goals of the study.
B) relationship between researcher and participant is much closer.
C) researcher needs more participants in a study because there is more subjectivity.
D) researcher selects a random sample from a smaller population than is used in a quantitative study.

Question 22

Which type of qualitative research is the most controversial?

A) Ethnographic research
B) Grounded theory research
C) Historical research
D) Phenomenological research

Question 23

A qualitative researcher might use which of the following statements to describe the rigor in a proposed study?

A) "After the data are collected, strict adherence to approved analysis will be conducted, objectivity will be maintained, and findings will be reported accurately."
B) "I have carefully researched all literature on this topic and am planning consistent, thorough analysis of the data, collected from as many subjects as it takes to reach saturation."
C) "My sample size alone demonstrates the rigor applied to this study."
D) "My study is based on solid theory and, when completed, will lead to a deeper understanding of this topic."

Question 24

Which type of qualitative researcher is likely to use film, videotapes, or photographs to collect data?

A) Ethnographic
B) Grounded theory
C) Historical
D) Phenomenologist

Question 25

Why would the Hermeneutic approach be of interest to nursing researchers? The Hermeneutic approach:

A) is a type of phenomenological research introduced by Heidegger.
B) is the most easily understood of the qualitative approaches.
C) seeks to increase the understanding of human nature.
D) was used to interpret Biblical texts.

Question 26

According to a study of nurses and medication errors using the ethnographic approach, what are nurses doing when "error" is redefined?

A) Creating a unique definition of error, specific to that particular person
B) Deciding not to report medication errors
C) Determining that the incident did not really happen as stated
D) Eliminating guilt regarding the incident

Question 27

Which of the following would literally result in a written portrait of the study population?

A) Descriptive research
B) Ethnographic research
C) Phenomenological approach
D) Structured interviews

Question 28

Which of the following is true about grounded theory research?

A) A portion of the technique came from the discipline of philosophy.
B) It is most like ethnographic research.
C) There is an attempt to discover the true meaning of symbols and objects.
D) This type of research has its roots in the data from which it was derived.

Question 29

How does a researcher know if data are from a primary source? The researcher:

A) checks with other researchers for their opinion and goes with the majority.
B) identifies where the data were found and uses geographic proximity to other primary sources as support.
C) tries to identify common themes and patterns.
D) thoroughly evaluates the data with all means available to determine its status as a primary source.

Question 30

A study investigating how nurses in the health care system looked on medication errors was conducted using the ethnographic approach. Why was this approach particularly appropriate for this study?

A) It asked the nurses what it was like for them when they made a medication error.
B) It explored the theoretical basis of medication administration and medication errors.
C) It improved understanding of how nurses within the hospital define or redefine medication errors.
D) Looking at the history of medication errors helps shed light on current practice.

Question 31

Which of the following is not a common data collection method in qualitative research?

A) Examining written text
B) Interviewing participants
C) Observing participants
D) Obtaining written surveys

Question 32

What are the chief merits of historical research?

A) Development of new interventions to continued concerns
B) Enforcing an already-present level of self-understanding
C) Information on new ways of doing things
D) Knowledge of how things should be done

Question 33

Which type of research uses a unique method of reporting data?

A) Ethnographic
B) Grounded theory
C) Historical
D) Phenomenological

Question 34

Which of the following should the qualitative researcher pay attention to as part of observation?

A) Focusing only on what is directly happening to the participant.
B) Focusing solely on the unexpected events in the participant's life.
C) General overview of the participant's routine.
D) Personal reactions to the situation.

Question 35

If a researcher is looking for answers to the question "How can I make something happen in a new way?" what kind of research is being conducted?

A) Ethnographic research
B) Grounded theory research
C) Historical research
D) Phenomenological research

Question 36

Which of the following components of a research study is unique to qualitative research methodology?

A) Designing the study according to protocols
B) Gathering data
C) Selection of participants
D) Stating the problem or question

Question 37

A phenomenological research question might be which of the following?

A) How do different cultures adapt to breast-feeding multiple infants?
B) How many mothers of twins elect to breast-feed their infants?
C) What is it like to breast-feed twins?
D) What past events have led many women to avoid breast-feeding?

Question 38

Which of the following is the strongest argument in favor of historical research in nursing?

A) All professions are characterized by knowledge of the history.
B) It is a method well suited to nurse researchers.
C) Nurses need to know their roots.
D) There needs to be a historical base on which to build.

Question 39

How does a qualitative historical researcher determine validity and reliability? The researcher:

A) determines that theoretical saturation is reached with as many primary sources as possible and secondary sources on a limited basis.
B) does not need to be concerned with validity and reliability.
C) finds as many sources as possible on the topic and does not exclude any of them.
D) uses references written about the subject by qualified experts to help ensure validity and reliability.

Question 40

Verifying handwriting or determining the age of paper a document was written on is part of establishing:

A) accurate data collection.
B) external criticism.
C) internal criticism.
D) cultural influences of the time period.

Question 41

Coding for qualitative studies:

A) allows the data to be retrieved by category.
B) consists of changing the text into numerical groupings.
C) is facilitated by the fact that data are collected in an organized fashion.
D) prepares the data for analysis on a computer.

Question 42

Why would a researcher use written documents from participants when interviews are possible?

A) Often the text comes from the transcription of taped (verbal) interviews.
B) Researchers find text information easier to analyze than transcribed taped interviews.
C) Text information is easier to collect.
D) Written information replaces verbal accounts.

Question 43

Which of the following is true about qualitative data analysis?

A) Data analysis occurs in three stages: description, analysis, and interpretation.
B) Data are usually collected and analyzed item by item.
C) Methodology is clearly described in most research reports.
D) There is a very different order for data handling than in quantitative research.

Question 44

Which of the following would be most accurate in describing the data analysis process in qualitative research?

A) Data are carefully maintained as they are first collected.
B) Data are checked for accuracy and then coded for computer analysis.
C) Participants provide information that is transcribed for researcher use.
D) The main emphasis in analysis is to extract themes and patterns in the data.

Question 45

A qualitative researcher is discussing data gathering with one participant in a study about women who have experienced significant loss in their lives. They set up a series of interviews and plan to meet in the participant's home. The researcher expects to develop a mutual understanding on the topic with the participant. Before leaving the participant, the researcher supplies a list of questions that will be asked so the participant can be prepared to answer them fully. Which of the behaviors in this scenario is atypical of qualitative research?

A) Data gathering occurring over several visits
B) Expecting a professional relationship to develop
C) Giving the participant a list of questions before the interview
D) Meeting with the participant ahead of time