qualitative methods

Cards (13)

  • What does deduction look like?
    Deduction: implicated in theory construction
  • What does induction look like?
    Induction- implicated in theory construction
  • what two categories can qualitative methods be split into?
    • experiential- captures and validates meanings, views perspectives and prioritises interpretations
    • critical/discursive- interrogates meanings or experiences expressed in data, analysts' interpretations become more important than participant interpretation. Language is used to interpret meaning and construct reality
  • what is ontology?
    • all research is underpinned by this
    • branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of reality
    • our assumptions of what things are
  • describe the ontological continuum
    • realism- mind independent reality. Existence and structure of this reality doesn't depend on our knowledge of it, and there are objective facts
    • idealism- everything is mind-dependent. What is perceived is dependent on the one doing the perceiving. In qualitative psychology, subjective idealism is common- everything is subjective construction
  • what is epistemology?
    • all research is underpinned by epistemological assumptions
    • branch of philosophy concerned with nature of knowledge
    • what counts as knowledge determines the way knowledge can be generated (methodology)
  • Describe the epistemological continuum
    • Positivism- true knowledge only attained from direct experience. Linked to realist ontology. Verificationism- inductive inference
    • Post-positivism- grew out of positivism. Karl Popper- verificationism by induction doesn't work, science proceeds by deductive falsification. Reality known imperfectly. Knowledge is never certain and is influenced by contextual factors eg beliefs of observer
    • Critical realism- similar to post positivism- objective reality which we can only know imperfectly because context influences knowledge creation. Knowledge is from observable and unobservable phenomena, abductive inference, common in experiential qualitative research.
    • Constructivism- knowledge constructed by knower, perception. Rejects objective knowledge, rejects ontological realism, type of critical qualitative approach, accepts epistemic relativism
  • Out of positivism, post positivism, critical realism and constructivism, which one represents knowledge that is objective, verifiable, of which truth can be obtained?
    positivism
  • Out of positivism, post positivism, critical realism and constructivism, which one represents knowledge that is created by humans, shaped by context, and fallible?
    • post positivism
    • critical realism
    • constructivism
  • what are the differences between constructivism, and critical realism and post positivism?
    • constructivism- all knowledge is constructed and relative to the knower. Focuses heavily on contextual factors relative to the knower
    • critical realism and post positivism- knowledge is constructed, but by identifying and discarding contextual factors we can gain a true understanding of the world.
  • describe what is meant by methodology
    How to best investigate and understand phenomena based on your ontological and epistemological position
  • what is the difference between inductive inferences and deductive falsification?
    • inductive inferences- I COMES AFTER D- the theory comes after the observations- going from the observed to the unobserved. You notice something, and when you conduct an investigation on it you can propose a theory (hypothesis testing)
    • deductive falsification- D COMES BEFORE I- the theory comes before the observations- you make an "assumption" almost based off what you've already seen, assuming things about what you haven't, then do an investigation and test that theory, which can then be refined
  • what are the general principles of post-positivism?
    inductive inferences are fallible and unfavoured, because deductive falsification provides more certainty of conclusions
    • promise- all frogs are green
    • observation- this frog is red
    • conclusion- not all frogs are green