Deck 5: Qualitative Approaches to Research

Question 1

In historical research,what or who constitutes the sample of the study?

A) The individuals who are the main characters in the historical context under study
B) The physical setting(s) in which the event occurred
C) The researchers and data gatherers
D) The data sources

Answer 1

The data sources

Question 2

How does nursing research using a phenomenologic approach differ from more traditional forms of phenomenologic research?

A) The results present the lived experience.
B) The study participants are people with illness, injury, or disease.
C) The focus of the study is the actual or objective phenomenon itself.
D) The focus is on understanding the reality of the phenomenon to the person experiencing it.

Answer 2

The focus is on understanding the reality of the phenomenon to the person experiencing it.

Question 3

Which title suggests an ethnographic study?

A) The phenomenon of breast self-examination among African American women
B) The lived experience of breast cancer in postmenopausal women
C) The need for culturally sensitive cancer prevention patient education materials
D) Retaining femininity after mastectomy

Answer 3

The phenomenon of breast self-examination among African American women

Question 4

When a researcher analyzes data from a phenomenologic study,what is the final synthesis of participants' descriptions?

A) Description of the lived experience
B) Identification of thought sequences
C) Generalization of the findings
D) Classification of themes

Question 5

Which statement is consistent with an emic view of a factor or situation?

A) Health care provider's statement that Native Americans are stoic in the experience of pain
B) Kindergarten teacher's statement that there are fewer discipline problems among Asian children
C) The National Cancer Institute's report that the incidence rate of prostate cancer is higher for African American men
D) White teenager's statement that being "skinny" is more socially acceptable than being of normal weight or overweight

Question 6

What is the foundation for the grounded theory method of qualitative research?

A) Cultural anthropology
B) Spirituality and religiosity
C) Philosophy, art, and science
D) Symbolic interaction and social science

Question 7

The nurse researcher has chosen to use the phenomenologic method.What features distinguish the intensive dialogue the researcher will use in this method from a simple interview?

A) Notes are made about the participant's responses during the interview.
B) The researcher is fully engaged, becoming a thoughtful presence during the interview.
C) The questions posed during the interview were developed before the actual interview occurred.
D) The researcher completes the questionnaire for the participant to avoid misunderstanding or confusion.

Question 8

Why is the review of the literature expected to be limited in a study using grounded theory methods?

A) Research using grounded theory methods is sparse.
B) Grounded theory is more sensitive to cultural values than to the researcher's values.
C) Theories are expected to emerge directly from the data and not from previous research.
D) Limiting the literature review ensures that the researcher's personal biases are bracketed.

Question 9

What criterion of scientific rigor for qualitative research is met when the research report leads the reader from the research question and raw data through the steps of analysis and interpretation of the data?

A) Confirmability
B) Auditability
C) Fittingness
D) Credibility

Question 10

Which qualitative approach would be most appropriate for a nurse researcher to use when studying an aspect or dimension of the daily experience of women undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer?

A) Case study
B) Phenomenology
C) Grounded theory
D) Ethnographic method

Question 11

Which statement related to ethical issues in qualitative research is true?

A) In naturalistic settings, there is no need to request informed consent from study participants.
B) The emerging nature of the design may require ongoing negotiation of consent.
C) The researcher-participant interaction is intentionally therapeutic in nature.
D) Data validation with the participant taints the study.

Question 12

Which of the following features is characteristic of the grounded theory method of qualitative research?

A) Data gathering and data analysis occur simultaneously.
B) The researcher has also experienced the specific phenomenon being studied.
C) Grounded theory studies are each based on only a single research question.
D) Participants in a grounded theory study must experience the phenomenon currently with the study.

Question 13

When reviewing the report of a phenomenologic study,the nurse researcher finds there is no section that describes or reports the research question.What approach should be used to determine the research question?

A) Examination of the themes emerged from the study
B) Examination of the data analysis methods used by the study
C) Examination of the questions or statements posed to the study participants
D) Examination and critical analysis of the articles composing the literature review

Question 14

Which qualitative research approach is most commonly used by nurse researchers for the purpose of theory building?

A) Case study
B) Phenomenology
C) Grounded theory
D) Ethnographic method

Question 15

How does the nurse researcher know when data saturation has been reached?

A) When the participants all agree on the themes derived from the study
B) When the ideas or information coming from new participants have been expressed previously by other participants
C) When the emerging themes are congruent with those developed as a result of previous studies of the same phenomenon
D) When the participants are no longer interested or willing to discuss their experiences or feelings

Question 16

Which factor in a research report indicates that the study used a qualitative design?

A) Hypotheses are stated.
B) The sample is described as convenient.
C) People who participated in the study are described as informants.
D) Participants were asked to complete a forced choice questionnaire to measure their understanding of the topic.

Question 17

The nurse researcher finds that statements made by one person interviewed during the conduct of a phenomenologic study are very similar to those made by a previous participant.How should the researcher proceed,given this circumstance?

A) Stop interviewing more participants because the data are considered saturated.
B) Ask the second participant whether he or she has been talking with the first participant.
C) Continue to interview more participants to determine whether the similarities in responses persist or were coincidental.
D) Continue to interview participants but change the wording of the question used to initiate dialogue within the interview.

Question 18

Why is the question used to initiate dialogue with a participant in a study using phenomenologic methods often different from the investigator's formal research question?

A) Qualitative methodology dictates that research questions should be implied rather than explicitly stated.
B) The investigator needs to ensure that the initiating question is clear and understandable to the study participant.
C) Research questions are considered an outcome of qualitative research rather than a driving force for conduct of the study.
D) Research questions must be congruent with the themes and connected to the data generated by the study.

Question 19

In reading a report of a phenomenologic study,the nurse researcher finds direct quotes from the participants threaded throughout the narrative.What is the significance of this observation?

A) The researcher is supporting his or her findings.
B) The researcher is attempting to make the report more personal.
C) The technique violates human subjects' protection.
D) The technique ensures that the proper level of data saturation has been reached.

Question 20

What is the purpose of grounded theory?

A) To expand the scope of nursing practice into areas formerly reserved for other disciplines
B) To provide an exhaustive description of how individuals or groups have experienced an event
C) To examine patterns of action and interaction between and among various types of social units
D) To identify precepts and mores common to all members of a distinct cultural or ethnic group

Question 21

What are characteristics of CBPR? (Select all that apply.)

A) It can be used to access a community's ability to plan context-appropriate action.
B) It recognizes the need to keep study participants remote from certain phases of the research project.
C) Its end product is intended to be a conceptual framework.
D) Its end product is intended to be a specific change or action.
E) It is frequently considered synonymous with action research.

Question 22

Which of the following are possible ethical concerns that the nurse researcher must consider when evaluating qualitative research? (Select all that apply.)

A) Researchers can focus on the emic view of patient experiences.
B) Researchers and participants may develop relationships that blur interactions.
C) Researchers may want to speak to participants on more than one occasion.
D) Researchers serve as instruments for data interpretation.
E) Researchers may use emergent designs that alter risks to participants.

Question 23

Which research question is most appropriate for a grounded theory approach?

A) How do incarcerated prisoners interact with fellow prisoners who are known pedophiles?
B) How do Native American teenage girls select a method of contraception?
C) What percentage of teachers in primary education also have a degree in nursing?
D) How are the total number of clinical hours in a nursing program related to National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rates?

Question 24

A nurse researcher is critiquing a research report of a phenomenologic research study that examines the lived experience of domestic violence.Which of the following answers is consistent with elements of a qualitative research report for a phenomenologic research study? (Select all that apply.)

A) Open-ended questions are used to ask participants to describe experiences with domestic violence.
B) Data from participants are presented in the form of narrative text.
C) The researcher details the natural setting in which fieldwork was conducted.
D) The data analysis section discusses use of a statistical software package.
E) The sampling section indicates that participants must be in unstable domestic relationships.

Question 25

A nurse researcher is selecting a data-gathering technique for a research study.Which data-gathering technique is appropriate for grounded theory research methods but should not be used for phenomenologic methods?

A) Face-to-face interviews
B) Tape-recorded interviews
C) Participant-written responses to written questions
D) Skilled observation of individuals in a social setting

Question 26

In an ethnographic study entitled "How rural Appalachian families with preschool children define and practice health," the researcher gathered data from mothers who were identified as the primary directors of health care within the family unit.What role did the mothers have in this study?

A) Community informants
B) General informants
C) Local informants
D) Key informants

Question 27

What are similarities that exist between grounded theory and ethnographic studies? (Select all that apply.)

A) Participants are observed in natural settings.
B) Researchers immerse themselves in the culture of study participants.
C) The studies focus on human interactions and social process.
D) Data gathering and data analysis occur simultaneously.
E) Techniques for data collection can change as the study progresses.

Question 28

A nurse researcher critiques a phenomenologic study for appropriateness.The researcher will examine the study to see whether the study: (Select all that apply.)

A) Queried participants of the study to confirm identified themes
B) Documented the bracketing process used to maintain proper perspective
C) Described the participants' experiences in a way that rings true for a reader
D) Presented narrative in a way that captures everyday reality of participants
E) Discussed in detail the process by which identified themes emerged

Question 29

How can computer management of qualitative data assist a nurse researcher in the research process?

A) Interpretation of data
B) Organization of data
C) Credibility of data
D) Analysis of data

Question 30

A nurse researcher conducts a grounded theory study examining the process of social support that occurs within interactions between nursing students and clinical faculty in the hospital setting.Which of the following statements would be behaviors consistent with a researcher that is conducting grounded theory research? (Select all that apply.)

A) The researcher uses theoretical sampling.
B) The researcher has one set of predetermined interview questions.
C) The researcher visits the archives at the school of nursing.
D) The researcher changes approaches to data collection as data emerge.
E) No more than one research question is used to avoid confusing participants.

Question 31

What are characteristics of community-based participatory research (CBPR)? (Select all that apply.)

A) It can be used to access a community's ability to plan context-appropriate action.
B) It recognizes the need to keep study participants remote from certain phases of the research project.
C) Its end product is intended to be a conceptual framework.
D) Its end product is intended to be a specific change or action.

Question 32

Which research question will indicate to the nurse researcher that an ethnographic approach was used in the research study?

A) In what ways do Puerto Rican women learn about health information?
B) What is the quality of life for persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)?
C) What was Nightingale's involvement in sanitary reforms during the 1860s?
D) How do individuals who have heart disease experience anger?

Question 33

The nurse researcher has opted to use grounded theory as the research method.Which data-gathering technique is most acceptable for grounded theory research?

A) Face-to-face interviews
B) Tape-recorded interviews
C) Participant-written responses to written questions
D) Skilled observation of individuals in a social setting

Question 34

The nurse researcher opts to use grounded theory as the research method.Which action or behavior should be avoided in such a study?

A) Following hunches about emerging patterns before data gathering is complete
B) Expressing the opinions or values of the researcher to the participant
C) Changing how experiences are collected or selected after the study has been initiated
D) Expanding codes or data categories as the study progresses

Question 35

What are the criteria that are used to judge a study's scientific rigor? (Select all that apply.)

A) Reality based
B) Credibility
C) Confidentiality of participants
D) Auditability
E) Recordkeeping
F) Fittingness

Question 36

A nurse researcher critiques a phenomenologic study for appropriateness.The researcher will examine the study to see if the study: (Select all that apply.)

A) Queried participants of the study to confirm identified themes
B) Documented the bracketing process used to maintain proper perspective
C) Described the participants' experiences in a way that rings true for a reader
D) Presented narrative in a way that captures everyday reality of participants
E) Discussed in detail the process by which identified themes emerged