Showing papers on "Qualitative research published in 2010"

Qualitative Research from Start to Finish

Abstract: Part 1. Understanding Qualitative Research. What Is Qualitative Research-and Why Might You Consider Doing Such Research? The Allure of Qualitative Research: A Topical Panorama of Studies. The Distinctiveness of Qualitative Research. The Multifaceted World of Qualitative Research. Building Trustworthiness and Credibility into Qualitative Research. Equipping Yourself to Do Qualitative Research. Competencies in Doing Qualitative Research. Managing Field-Based Research. Practicing. Setting and Maintaining Ethical Standards of Conduct. Protecting Human Subjects: Obtaining Approval from an Institutional Review Board. How to Start a Research Study. Starting a Qualitative Study by Considering Three Features. Reviewing Research Literature. Detailing a New Qualitative Study. Part 2. Doing Qualitative Research. Choices in Designing Qualitative Research Studies. Brief Definition of Research Designs. Choice 1: Starting a Research Design at the Beginning of a Study (or Not). Choice 2: Taking Steps to Strengthen the Validity of a Study (or Not). Choice 3: Clarifying the Complexity of Data Collection Units (or Not). Choice 4: Attending to Sampling (or Not). Choice 5: Incorporating Concepts and Theories into a Study (or Not). Choice 6: Planning at an Early Stage (or Not) to Obtain Participant Feedback. Choice 7: Being Concerned with Generalizing a Study's Findings (or Not). Choice 8: Preparing a Research Protocol (or Not). Doing Fieldwork. Working in the Field. Gaining and Maintaining Access to the Field. Nurturing Field Relationships. Doing Participant-Observation. Making Site Visits. Data Collection Methods. What Are Data? Introduction to Four Types of Data Collection Activities. Interviewing. Observing. Collecting and Examining. Feelings. Desirable Practices Pertinent to All Modes of Data Collection. Recording Data. What to Record. Note-Taking Practices When Doing Fieldwork. Converting Field Notes into Fuller Notes. Recording Data through Modes Other Than Writing. Keeping a Personal Journal. Analyzing Qualitative Data, I: Compiling, Disassembling, and Reassembling. Overview of the Analytic Phases. Compiling an Orderly Set of Data. Disassembling Data. Reassembling Data. Analyzing Qualitative Data, II: Interpreting and Concluding. Interpreting. Modes of Interpreting. Concluding. Part 3. Presenting the Results from Qualitative Research. Displaying Qualitative Data. Narrative Data about the Participants in a Qualitative Study. Tabular, Graphic, and Pictorial Presentations. Creating Slides to Accompany Oral Presentations. Composing Research, to Share It with Others. Composing: General Hints. Composing Qualitative Research. Presenting Your Declarative Self. Presenting Your Reflective Self. Reworking Your Composition. Part 4. Taking Qualitative Research One Step Further. Broadening the Challenge of Doing Qualitative Research. Qualitative Research as Part of the Broader Realm of Social Science Research. An Ongoing Dialogue. The Promise and Challenge of Mixed Methods Research. Moving Onward. Appendix. A Semester- or Year-Long Project: Career Paths. A Glossary of Special Terms Used in Qualitative Research.

Qualitative Quality: Eight “Big-Tent” Criteria for Excellent Qualitative Research

Abstract: This article presents a model for quality in qualitative research that is uniquely expansive, yet flexible, in that it makes distinc- tions among qualitative research's means (methods and practices) and its ends. The article first provides a contextualization and rationale for the conceptualization. Then the author presents and explores eight key markers of quality in qualitative research including (a) worthy topic, (b) rich rigor, (c) sincerity, (d) credibility, (e) resonance, (f) significant contribution, (g) ethics, and (h) meaningful coherence. This eight-point conceptualization offers a useful pedagogical model and provides a common language of qualitative best practices that can be recognized as integral by a variety of audiences. While making a case for these markers of quality, the article leaves space for dialogue, imagination, growth, and improvisation.

Qualitative Case Studies

Abstract: Most educators have encountered case studies as part of their preservice preparation and continued professional training; yet, there is often some uncertainty as to what exactly a case study is and in particular what a qualitative case study is. A case study is an in-depth description and analysis of a single bounded system, a unit of one, whether that unit is a teacher, a classroom, a program, or a school district. When the question of interest within the case is one of understanding how people construct the meaning of an event, activity, or phenomenon, it is a qualitative case study. This article defines qualitative case study research, discusses aspects of the design and implantation of a qualitative case study, and concludes with a brief discussion of how to think about generalizing from a single case study.

Perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in young people: a systematic review

Abstract: Adolescents and young adults frequently experience mental disorders, yet tend not to seek help. This systematic review aims to summarise reported barriers and facilitators of help-seeking in young people using both qualitative research from surveys, focus groups, and interviews and quantitative data from published surveys. It extends previous reviews through its systematic research methodology and by the inclusion of published studies describing what young people themselves perceive are the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking for common mental health problems. Twenty two published studies of perceived barriers or facilitators in adolescents or young adults were identified through searches of PubMed, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane database. A thematic analysis was undertaken on the results reported in the qualitative literature and quantitative literature. Fifteen qualitative and seven quantitative studies were identified. Young people perceived stigma and embarrassment, problems recognising symptoms (poor mental health literacy), and a preference for self-reliance as the most important barriers to help-seeking. Facilitators were comparatively under-researched. However, there was evidence that young people perceived positive past experiences, and social support and encouragement from others as aids to the help-seeking process. Strategies for improving help-seeking by adolescents and young adults should focus on improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and taking into account the desire of young people for self-reliance.

Interviews in Qualitative Research

Abstract: Introduction Philosophical Assumptions Designing an Interview Study Carrying out Qualitative Interviews Group Interviews Remote Interviewing Ethics in Qualitative Interviewing Reflexivity and Qualitative Interviewing An Introduction to Interview Data Analysis Interviews in Phenomenological Research Interviews and Narrative

Analysis in qualitative research

Abstract: PART ONE: INTRODUCTION TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Learning Aims Preparatory Thoughts Considering Quantitative or Qualitative Research Diversity in Qualitative Research Defining and Delineating Qualitative Research in This Book Overview of the Qualitative Research Process Redaings I Learnt Much From Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: Step 1 PART TWO: RESEARCH DESIGN Learning Aims Planning a Research Project Literature Review Research Question and Purpose Legitimizing the Choice for Qualitative Research Sampling, Recruitment and Access Readings I Learnt Much From Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: step 2 PART THREE: ETHICS IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Learning aims Ethics in Social Research Sensitive Topics Balancing Risk and Benefits for Participants Researcher's Stress Ethical Issues in Analysis Readings I Learnt Much From Other Resources Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: Step 3 PART FOUR: DATA COLLECTION Learning Aims Data Qualitative Data Collection Instruments Used Writing Memos Preparing Data for Analysis Readings I Learnt Much From Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: Step 4 PART FIVE: PRINCIPLES OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS Learning Aims What is Analysis? Segmenting Data Reassembling Data Three Starting Points A Stepwise Approach: The Spiral of Analysis Readings I Learnt Much From Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: Step 5 PART SIX: DOING QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS Learning Aims Introduction to Coding Open Coding Axial Coding Selective Coding Reflections on Analysis Readings I Learnt Much From Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: Step 6 PART SEVEN: INTEGRATIVE PROCEDURES Learning Aims Heuristics for Discovery Think Aloud Analysis Special Devices: Focus Groups and Visuals Using the Computer in Analysis Reflections on Computer-assisted Data Analysis Readings I Learnt Much From Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: Step 7 PART EIGHT: FINDINGS Learning Aims Results of Qualitative Research Meta-syntheses of Qualitative Studies Muddling Qualitative Methods Mixed Methods Research Practical Use Readings I Learnt Much From Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: Step 8 PART NINE: QUALITY OF THE RESEARCH Learning Aims Thinking About Quality 'Doing' Quality Checklists for Asserting Quality of the Analysis External Validity or Generalizability Quality Challenges Readings I Learnt Much From Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: Step 9 PART TEN: WRITING THE RESEARCH REPORT Learning Aims Writing: The Last Part of the Analysis The Researcher as Writer The Position of Participants Structure of the Final Report Publishing Readings I Learnt Much From Doing Your Own Qualitative Research Project: Step 10

Doing Mixed Methods Research Pragmatically: Implications for the Rediscovery of Pragmatism as a Research Paradigm:

Abstract: This article explores the practical relevance of pragmatism as a research paradigm through the example of a piece of pragmatic research that not only used both quantitative and qualitative research...

Research methods in business studies

Abstract: This accessible guide provides clear, practical explanations of key research methods in business studies, presenting a step-by-step approach to data collection, analysis and problem solving. Readers will learn how to formulate a research question, choose an appropriate research method, argue and motivate, collect and analyse data, and present findings in a logical and convincing manner. The authors evaluate various qualitative and quantitative methods and their consequences, guiding readers to the most appropriate research design for particular questions. Furthermore, the authors provide instructions on how to write reports and dissertations in a clearly structured and concise style. Now in its fifth edition, this popular textbook includes new and dedicated chapters on data collection for qualitative research, qualitative data analysis, data collection for quantitative research, multiple regression, and additional methods of quantitative analysis. Cases and examples have been updated throughout, increasing the applicability of these research methods across various situations.

Presenting and Evaluating Qualitative Research

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to help authors to think about ways to present qualitative research papers in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. It also discusses methods for reviewers to assess the rigour, quality, and usefulness of qualitative research. Examples of different ways to present data from interviews, observations, and focus groups are included. The paper concludes with guidance for publishing qualitative research and a checklist for authors and reviewers.

Using Numbers in Qualitative Research

Abstract: The use of numerical/quantitative data in qualitative research studies and reports has been controversial. Prominent qualitative researchers such as Howard Becker and Martyn Hammersley have supported the inclusion of what Becker called “quasi-statistics”: simple counts of things to make statements such as “some,” “usually,” and “most” more precise. However, others have resisted such uses, particularly when they are requested by reviewers for journals. This paper presents both the advantages of integrating quantitative information in qualitative data collection, analysis, and reporting, and the potential problems created by such uses and how these can be dealt with. It also addresses the definition of mixed methods research, arguing that the use of numbers by itself doesn't make a study “mixed methods.”

More than Tuskegee: understanding mistrust about research participation.

Abstract: This paper describes results of a qualitative study that explored barriers to research participation among African American adults A purposive sampling strategy was used to identify African American adults with and without previous research experience A total of 11 focus groups were conducted Groups ranged in size from 4-10 participants (N=70) Mistrust of the health care system emerged as a primary barrier to participation in medical research among participants in our study Mistrust stems from historical events including the Tuskegee syphilis study and is reinforced by health system issues and discriminatory events that continue to this day Mistrust was an important barrier expressed across all groups regardless of prior research participation or socioeconomic status This study illustrates the multifaceted nature of mistrust, and suggests that mistrust remains an important barrier to research participation Researchers should incorporate strategies to reduce mistrust and thereby increase participation among African Americans

Language differences in qualitative research: is meaning lost in translation?

Abstract: This article discusses challenges of language differences in qualitative research, when participants and the main researcher have the same non-English native language and the non-English data lead to an English publication. Challenges of translation are discussed from the perspective that interpretation of meaning is the core of qualitative research. As translation is also an interpretive act, meaning may get lost in the translation process. Recommendations are suggested, aiming to contribute to the best possible representation and understanding of the interpreted experiences of the participants and thereby to the validity of qualitative research.

The views of patients and carers in treatment decision making for chronic kidney disease: systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies

Abstract: Objective To synthesise the views of patients and carers in decision making regarding treatment for chronic kidney disease, and to determine which factors influence those decisions. Design Systematic review of qualitative studies of decision making and choice for dialysis, transplantation, or palliative care, and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies. Data sources Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, social work abstracts, and digital theses (database inception to week 3 October 2008) to identify literature using qualitative methods (focus groups, interviews, or case studies). Review methods Thematic synthesis involved line by line coding of the findings of the primary studies and development of descriptive and analytical themes. Results 18 studies that reported the experiences of 375 patients and 87 carers were included. 14 studies focused on preferences for dialysis modality, three on transplantation, and one on palliative management. Four major themes were identified as being central to treatment choices: confronting mortality (choosing life or death, being a burden, living in limbo), lack of choice (medical decision, lack of information, constraints on resources), gaining knowledge of options (peer influence, timing of information), and weighing alternatives (maintaining lifestyle, family influences, maintaining the status quo). Conclusions The experiences of other patients greatly influenced the decision making of patients and carers. The problematic timing of information about treatment options and synchronous creation of vascular access seemed to predetermine haemodialysis and inhibit choice of other treatments, including palliative care. A preference to maintain the status quo may explain why patients often remain on their initial therapy.

Considering quality in qualitative interviewing

Abstract: Within the field of qualitative inquiry, there has been considerable discussion of how ‘quality’ might be demonstrated by researchers in reports of studies. With the growth in the application of qualitative methods in social research, along with the proliferation of texts available to qualitative researchers over the last four decades, there has been increasing diversity in how quality has been demonstrated in reports. In this article, I focus on the use of qualitative interviews in research studies, arguing that with a growing array of theorizations of the qualitative interview, researchers must demonstrate the quality of their work in ways that are commensurate with their assumptions about their use of interviews. I sketch a number of possibilities for how qualitative interviews might be theorized, and show the different ways in which quality might be demonstrated from each perspective. I propose this typology as one means by which novice researchers might begin to work through design decisions involved...

The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Methods in Health Research

Abstract: Introduction PART ONE: CONTRIBUTIONS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH There's More to Dying Than Death: Qualitative Research on the End-of-Life - Stefan Timmermans Healer-Patient Interaction: New Mediations in Clinical Relationships - Arthur W. Frank, Michael K. Corman, Jessica A. Gish and Paul Lawton Qualitative Contributions to the Study of Health Professions and Their Work - Johanne Collin Why Use Qualitative Methods to Study Health-Care Organizations? Insights from Multilevel Case Studies - Carol A. Caronna How Country Matters: Studying Health Policy in a Comparative Perspective - Sirpa Wrede Exploring Social Inequalities in Health: The Importance of Thinking Qualitatively - Gareth Williams and Eva Elliott PART TWO: THEORY Theory Matters in Qualitative Health Research - Mita Giacomini Ethnographic Approaches to Health and Development Research: The Contributions of Anthropology - Rebecca Prentice What Is Grounded Theory and Where Does It Come from? - Dorothy Pawluch and Elena Neiterman Qualitative Methods from Psychology - Helen Malson Conversation Analysis and Ethnomethodology: The Centrality of Interaction - Timothy Halkowski and Virginia Teas Gill Phenomenology - Carol L. McWilliam Studying Organizations: The Revival of Institutionalism - Karen Staniland History and Social Change in Health and Medicine - Claire Hooker PART THREE: COLLECTING AND ANALYZING DATA Qualitative Research Review and Synthesis - Jennie Popay and Sara Mallinson Qualitative Interviewing Techniques and Styles - Susan E. Kelly Focus Groups - Rosaline S. Barbour Fieldwork and Participant Observation - Davina Allen Video-Based Conversation Analysis - Ruth Parry Practising Discourse Analysis in Healthcare Settings - Srikant Sarangi Documents in Health Research - Lindsay Prior Participatory Action Research: Theoretical Perspectives on the Challenges of Researching Action - Louise Potvin, Sherri L. Bisset and Leah Walz Qualitative Research in Programme Evaluation - Isobel MacPherson and Linda McKie Auto-Ethnography: Making Sense of Personal Illness Journeys - Elizabeth Ettore Institutional Ethnography - Marie L. Campbell Visual Methods for Collecting and Analysing Data - Susan E. Bell Keyword Analysis: A New Tool for Qualitative Research - Clive Seale and Jonathan Charteris-Black PART FOUR: ISSUES IN QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH Recognizing Quality in Qualitative Research - Kath M. Melia Mixed Methods Involving Qualitative Research - Alicia O'Cathain A Practical Guide to Research Ethics - Laura Stark and Adam Hedgecoe Using Qualitative Research Methods to Inform Health Policy: The Case of Public Deliberation - Julia Abelson Cross National Qualitative Health Research - Carine Vassy and Richard Keller PART FIVE: APPLYING QUALITATIVE METHODS Researching Reproduction Qualitatively: Intersections of Personal and Political - Kereen Reiger and Pranee Liamputtong Understanding the Shaping, Incorporation and Co-Ordination of Health Technologies through Qualitative Research - Tiago Moreira and Tim Rapley Transgressive Pleasures: Undertaking Qualitative Research in the Radsex Domain - Dave Holmes, Patrick O'Byrne and Denise Gastaldo The Challenges and Opportunities of Qualitative Health Research with Children - Ilina Singh and Sinead Keenan The Dilemmas of Advocacy: The Paradox of Giving in Disability Research - Ruth Pinder Qualitative Approaches for Studying Environmental Health - Phil Brown

PRO development: rigorous qualitative research as the crucial foundation

Abstract: Recently published articles have described criteria to assess qualitative research in the health field in general, but very few articles have delineated qualitative methods to be used in the development of Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs). In fact, how PROs are developed with subject input through focus groups and interviews has been given relatively short shrift in the PRO literature when compared to the plethora of quantitative articles on the psychometric properties of PROs. If documented at all, most PRO validation articles give little for the reader to evaluate the content validity of the measures and the credibility and trustworthiness of the methods used to develop them. Increasingly, however, scientists and authorities want to be assured that PRO items and scales have meaning and relevance to subjects. This article was developed by an international, interdisciplinary group of psychologists, psychometricians, regulatory experts, a physician, and a sociologist. It presents rigorous and appropriate qualitative research methods for developing PROs with content validity. The approach described combines an overarching phenomenological theoretical framework with grounded theory data collection and analysis methods to yield PRO items and scales that have content validity.

Using QSR‐NVivo to facilitate the development of a grounded theory project: an account of a worked example

Abstract: This paper demonstrates how the software package QSR‐NVivo can be used to faciitate a grounded theory approach. Recent research evidence has questioned the methodological quality of many studies that claim to utilise grounded theory. This paper argues that qualitative data analysis software can be used to encourage good quality grounded theory research by facilitating many of the key processes and characteristics associated with this approach. To achieve this, the paper identifies a number of grounded theory characteristics, common to all revisions of the methodology. It then describes the development of a recent study, which examined how people successfully maintain long‐term physical activity behaviour change. The purpose of this is to demonstrate how different functions of QSR‐NVivo may be used in conjunction with the key grounded theory characteristics. In summary, QSR‐NVivo is a powerful tool that, if used appropriately, can facilitate many aspects of the grounded theory process from the design and e...

Performing Qualitative Cross-Cultural Research

Abstract: Cross-cultural research is rife with ethical and methodological challenges but, despite the increased demand for such research, discussions on 'culturally sensitive methodologies' are still largely neglected. Consequently, researchers often find themselves faced with difficulties but lack information on how to deal with them. This text provides an in-depth discussion on how to perform qualitative research in cross-cultural contexts with an emphasis on a more ethical, sensible and responsible approach. Pranee Liamputtong suggests culturally sensitive and appropriate research methods that would work well with cultural groups. She offers thought-provoking perspectives and diverse cultural examples which will be of value to both novice and experienced cross-cultural researchers. Throughout the volume there are references to the excellent work of many cross-cultural researchers who have paved the way in different social and cultural settings.

Qualitative Approaches to Mixed Methods Practice

Abstract: This article discusses how methodological practices can shape and limit how mixed methods is practiced and makes visible the current methodological assumptions embedded in mixed methods practice that can shut down a range of social inquiry. The article argues that there is a “methodological orthodoxy” in how mixed methods is practiced that currently favors quantitative methodologies, with a mixed methods praxis that positions qualitative methods second and quantitative methods as primary with an overall mixed methods design that is in the service of testing out quantitatively generated theories about the social world. This article upends the current methodological focus on positivism by centering qualitative approaches to mixed methods practice. A qualitative approach seeks to empower individuals’ stories with the goal of understanding how they how make meaning within their social world. Through intensive case studies this article demonstrates the synergy of combining methods in the service of qualitative...

Assessing and demonstrating data saturation in qualitative inquiry supporting patient-reported outcomes research.

Abstract: In the patient-reported outcomes (PROs) field, strict regulatory requirements must be met for qualitative research that contributes to labeling claims for medicinal products. These requirements not only emphasize the importance of reaching saturation but also of providing documentary evidence that saturation has been reached. This paper reviews qualitative literature for useful definitions of the concept and for practical approaches for assessing saturation. The paper considers approaches in light of the rigorous regulatory requirements for PRO research that are used to support labeling claims for medicinal products and the wider requirements for flexibility and creativity in qualitative research in general. This assessment is facilitated by the use of examples from our past qualitative PRO studies. Based on conclusions from this assessment, we offer preliminary recommendations for future qualitative PRO studies for assessing and documenting saturation.

Qualitative Interviews in Applied Linguistics: From Research Instrument to Social Practice

Abstract: Interviews have been used for decades in empirical inquiry across the social sciences as one or the primary means of generating data. In applied linguistics, interview research has increased dramatically in recent years, particularly in qualitative studies that aim to investigate participants’ identities, experiences, beliefs, and orientations toward a range of phenomena. However, despite the proliferation of interview research in qualitative applied linguistics, it has become equally apparent that there is a profound inconsistency in how the interview has been and continues to be theorized in the field. This article critically reviews a selection of applied linguistics research from the past 5 years that uses interviews in case study, ethnographic, narrative, (auto)biographical, and related qualitative frameworks, focusing in particular on the ideologies of language, communication, and the interview, or the communicable cartographies of interviewing, that are evident in them. By contrasting what is referred to as an interview as research instrument perspective with a research interview as social practice orientation, the article argues for greater reflexivity about the interview methods that qualitative applied linguists use in their studies, the status ascribed to interview data, and how those data are analyzed and represented.

Translation and back-translation in qualitative nursing research: methodological review.

Abstract: Aims. To examine the effects of the procedure of translation and the techniques used on the collection and interpretation of original language qualitative data for English presentation. Background. Nursing and health research increasingly use qualitative research for a broadened perspective on practice and research. In numerous qualitative nursing research papers, data are collected in the original language (example Chinese) and the findings are presented in English. No standardised procedures exist for evaluating the influences of translation on the trustworthiness of qualitative data in nursing research. Design. Translation and back-translation related literature review was conducted. Methods. This is a methodological review paper. Discussion. This paper discusses the factors influencing the quality of translation including translator, back-translation, culture and language. Additionally, the translation procedures reported in the literature and the author’s experiences are considered. Conclusions. The translation procedures described in qualitative nursing research can be summarised as: 1 Verbatim transcription of the content in original language, and then analysis of content; 2 Two bilingual translators are necessary to translate the emerged concepts and categories; 3 Back translate is employed; 4 An expert panel committee is involved in reaching final agreement on the translation. Relevance to clinical practice. Development of the translation procedures could provide qualitative nursing researchers with a guide when collecting data in one language and presenting results in another language. In this way, the necessary rigour in qualitative nursing research could be achieved.

After KKV: The New Methodology of Qualitative Research

Abstract: This article discusses developments in the field of qualitative methodology since the publication of King, Keohane, and Verba's (KKV 's) Designing Social Inquiry . Three areas of the new methodology are examined: (1) process tracing and causal-process observations; (2) methods using set theory and logic; and (3) strategies for combining qualitative and quantitative research. In each of these areas, the article argues, the new literature encompasses KKV 's helpful insights while avoiding their most obvious missteps. Discussion focuses especially on contrasts between the kind of observations that are used in qualitative versus quantitative research, differences between regression-oriented approaches and those based on set theory and logic, and new approaches for bringing out complementarities between qualitative and quantitative research. The article concludes by discussing research frontiers in the field of qualitative methodology.

Psychosocial adjustment of siblings of children with cancer: a systematic review.

Abstract: Objectives: To promote a broader understanding of the psychosocial impact of childhood cancer on siblings, a systematic review was undertaken. Directions for future research are proposed and clinical strategies are suggested for addressing the needs of these children. Methods: Searches of Medline, PsycINFO and CINAHL revealed 65 relevant qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods' papers published between 1997 and 2008. These papers were rated for scientific merit and findings were extracted for summary. Results: Siblings of children with cancer do not experience elevated mean rates of psychiatric disorders, but a significant subset experiences post-traumatic stress symptoms, negative emotional reactions (e.g. shock, fear, worry, sadness, helplessness, anger, and guilt), and poor quality of life in emotional, family, and social domains. In general, distress is greater closer to time of diagnosis. School difficulties are also evident within 2 years of diagnosis. Qualitative studies reveal family-level themes such as loss of attention and status as well as positive outcomes including increased sibling maturity and empathy. Conclusions: Research regarding siblings of children with cancer continues to be methodologically limited. The conclusions of qualitative and quantitative studies differ considerably. We propose a research agenda to propel this field forward including greater attention to alterations in normative development (as opposed to psychiatric conditions), development of more appropriate quantitative measures, examination of potential moderators of adaptation, and use of prospective longitudinal designs. Siblings of children with cancer are a psychosocially at-risk group and should be provided with appropriate supportive services. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The science of qualitative research.

Abstract: This updated and expanded edition is a unique examination of qualitative research in the social sciences, raising and answering the question of why we do this kind of investigation Rather than providing instructions on how to conduct qualitative research, The Science of Qualitative Research explores the multiple roots of qualitative research - including phenomenology, hermeneutics, and critical theory - in order to diagnose the current state of the field and recommend an alternative The author argues that much qualitative research today uses the mind-world dualism that is typical of traditional experimental investigation, and recommends that instead we focus on constitution: the relationship of mutual formation between a form of life and its members Michel Foucault's program for 'a history ontology of ourselves' provides the basis for this fresh approach The new edition features updated chapters, and a brand new chapter which offers a discussion on how to put into practice Foucault's concept

Part 2: Home based family caregiving at the end of life: a comprehensive review of published qualitative research (1998 - 2008)

Abstract: The changing context of palliative care over the last decade highlights the importance of recent research on home-based family caregiving at the end of life. This article reports on a comprehensive review of quantitative research (1998—2008) in this area, utilizing a systematic approach targeting studies on family caregivers, home settings, and an identified palliative phase of care (n = 129). Methodological challenges were identified, including: small, non-random, convenience samples; reliance on descriptive and bivariate analyses; and a dearth of longitudinal research. Robust evidence regarding causal relationships between predictor variables and carer outcomes is lacking. Findings suggest the need for knowledge regarding: family caregiving for patients with non-malignant terminal conditions; whether needs and outcomes differ between family caregivers at the end of life and comparison groups; and caregiver outcomes in bereavement. Clear definitions of ‘family caregiving’, ‘end of life’, and ‘needs’ are ...

Sampling ‘Hard to Reach’ Populations in Qualitative Research: The Case of Incarcerated Youth

Abstract: Sampling is an integral component of all research designs. Several qualitative research texts offer practical guides on how to theorize, recruit, and retain a sample to fulfill the aims of a given ...

Developing an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach to Focus Group Data

Abstract: Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is an approach to qualitative research that is now well-established in British psychology. This approach is concerned with understanding people's experiences of the world and of themselves. The aims of IPA studies have been met most frequently through the use of one-on-one interviews. Relatively few studies have used focus group discussions as the basis for IPA studies, but focus groups may provide rich experiential data. In this article, we describe a process for integrating focus group data into an IPA study. We developed this during a study of the experiences of carers of people with mental health problems. Here we outline the various steps of our analytic process and discuss how these might be employed and adapted by other researchers wishing to apply IPA's concern with personal experience to the analysis of focus group data.

The analysis of classroom talk: Methods and methodologies

Abstract: This article describes methods for analysing classroom talk, comparing their strengths and weaknesses. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are described and assessed for their strengths and weaknesses, with a discussion of the mixed use of such methods. It is acknowledged that particular methods are often embedded in particular methodologies, which are based on specific theories of social action, research paradigms, and disciplines; and so a comparison is made of two contemporary methodologies, linguistic ethnography, and sociocultural research. The article concludes with some comments on the current state of development of this field of research and on ways that it might usefully progress.