Name That Method
A study exploring the lived experiences of people recovering from postpartum depression through in-depth interviews.
phenomenology
The qualitative equivalent of internal validity, referring to confidence in the truth of the findings.
Credibility
Asking participants open-ended questions one-on-one to explore their experiences in depth.
Interviews
A researcher uses a multiple-choice survey to understand lived experiences.
(note: you're answering for an improved data collection method)
use in-depth interviews
Qualitative research prioritizes this over generalizability.
Depth
An NAU anthropology professor goes undercover as a college student, moves into a dorm, and lives among students to understand their culture and daily life.
Ethnography
This refers to whether findings can be applied or transferred to other contexts
Transferability
Facilitating discussion among several participants at once, often to explore shared perspectives or group dynamics.
Focus Group
A researcher claims to use grounded theory but begins with a fixed theory and only looks for data to support it.
(note: you're coming up with what they should do instead to be grounded theory)
let theory emerge from data
Qualitative research seeks to understand this rather than measure frequency or magnitude.
Meaning
Developing a theory about how patients adapt to chronic illness using constant comparison and iterative coding.
Grounded Theory
This concept refers to the consistency and stability of findings over time
dependability
Watching behaviors, interactions, or settings in real time rather than relying only on self-report
Observation
Interviews use only yes/no questions with no follow-up.
use open-ended probing
A qualitative study begins with predefined codes based on an existing theory and only looks for data that fits those categories.
Deductive approach
Detailed stories from individuals about their life journeys with eating disorders, focusing on how they construct meaning over time.
Narrative inquiry
This ensures that findings are shaped by participants’ experiences rather than researcher bias, often supported by reflexivity and audit trails.
Confirmability
Diaries, meeting notes, social media posts, policy statements, or medical records as a source of qualitative data
Document Analysis
A study asks, “What is the prevalence of burnout among nurses?” but uses in-depth interviews as the primary method.
Revise the research question or method
A researcher collects interview data and allows patterns and themes to emerge without imposing predefined categories or theories.
Inductive approach
To deeply examine a single clinic implementing a new maternal health program, aiming to understand processes within this bounded system.
Case Study
A researcher keeps detailed documentation of all decisions made during data collection and analysis, including coding changes, memos, and methodological choices, so others can follow the research process step-by-step.
Audit Trail
A researcher spends several weeks embedded in a clinic, helping with daily tasks while observing staff interactions and taking detailed field notes on workflow and communication patterns
Participant Observation
From Lim et al: Method ≠ methodology
A researcher interprets all findings without reflecting on how their own perspectives may influence the analysis
Use reflexivity
Instead of large samples, qualitative research typically uses this type of sampling strategy.
Purposive Sampling