QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Dr Jo Neale Reader in Qualitative and Mixed
Methods Research Addictions Department IOP March
2014
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Outline

• PART 1 What is qualitative research?
• PART 2 Collecting data for a simple qualitative
  interview study
• PART 3 Coding, analysing writing up
  qualitative interview data

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Part 1 What is qualitative research?
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What is qualitative research?

• Seeks meaning understanding of particular
  social phenomena
• Allows topics to be explored in depth detail
• Uses relatively small sample sizes
• Utilises methods which are flexible sensitive
  to social context
• Enables participants to be open reflective
  about their experiences
• Focuses on peoples subjective experiences
  opinions
• Recognises that research involves judgements
  values
• Uses theory for understanding interpreting the
  social world

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Types of qualitative method

• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Observation
• Ethnography
• Biographical methods
• Analysing documents (e.g. letters, diaries, case
  notes, meeting minutes)
• Analysing images or film

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Quantitative v qualitative

• Quantitative methods tend to be deductive (seek
  to test theory or ideas using previously
  established categories of data)
• Qualitative methods tend to be inductive (build
  insights or theory using categories generated
  from their own data)
• For many years quantitative qualitative
  researchers each believed in the superiority of
  their own approaches
• More recently some of the rigid boundaries
  between quantitative qualitative researchers
  have begun to relax
• Increasing acceptance of, enthusiasm for, mixed
  methods research

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Research stages

• Choose a topic
• Review the literature
• Refine the research question(s)/ aim(s)/
  objective(s)
• Design the study (write a proposal/ protocol)
• Prepare any fieldwork secure all of the
  necessary ethics governance approvals
• Conduct the research
• Organise analyse the data
• Write up disseminate the findings

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Developing a qualitative research question

• A broad topic area
• A clear research problem
• A focused research question OR study aims
  objectives
• Read/ review the literature
• Reflect
• Brainstorm ideas
• Discuss
• Utilise theory
• Be realistic narrow it down

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Good research questions

• Interesting
• Relevant/ important
• Feasible
• Ethical
• Concise/ clearly delineated
• Answerable
• Green in Gilbert (ed.) 2008

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Examples of qualitative studies

• Drug users views experiences of community
  pharmacy services
• Experiences of non-fatal drug overdose
• Good practice towards homeless drug users
• Recreational drug driving
• Drug user involvement in treatment
  decision-making
• Barriers to the effective treatment of injecting
  drug users
• The everyday lives of recovering heroin users
• Delivering online treatment to homeless drug
  users living in hostels
• Mapping relationships in emergency hostels
  night shelters to improve resettlement
  treatment outcomes

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Questions
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Part 2 Collecting data for a simple qualitative
interview study
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What is a qualitative interview?

• Very common method of data collection in
  qualitative research
• Aka depth interviews, in-depth interviews,
  open-ended interviews, informal interviews,
  semi-structured interviews
• Verbal interaction between a researcher an
  interviewee (participant, respondent, informant)
• Aims to shed light on the research topic or
  question from the viewpoint of an expert
  insider
• Commonly conducted face-to-face, but can be
  conducted by telephone, email or video
• Format tends to be described as unstructured or
  semi-structured

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Strengths of qualitative interview studies

• Produces detailed contextual information
• Prioritises the participants perspective
• Good for investigating topics about which
  relatively little is known
• Valuable when researching sensitive issues
  complex behaviours

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Weaknesses of qualitative interview studies

• The subjective nature of in-depth interviewing
  makes it susceptible to criticisms of bias
• In-depth interviewing can be extremely
  time-consuming to undertake
• It is very easy for the inexperienced unskilled
  researcher to conduct a very poor in-depth
  interview
• Researchers can struggle to know how to analyse
  the large quantities of unstructured narrative
  data that interviewing tends to produce

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Preparing for a qualitative interview study

• Be clear about the central aims of the study
  before you start
• Ensure you have good knowledge of the existing
  literature
• Think about who should be interviewed (sampling)
  how you will recruit them
• Prepare a topic guide (interview schedule)
• Prepare an information sheet about the study
  any necessary consent forms
• Secure research approvals (ethics governance)
• Think about when where to interview (including
  how to dress)
• Think about safety well-being
• Negotiate access to participants
• Conduct one or two pilot interviews

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Exercise

• Look carefully at handout 1. It is a topic guide
  for a study that was conducted a few years ago.
• The aim of the study was to provide new
  information on how to improve injecting drug
  users access to services

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Before the interview starts

• Check recording equipment
• Give participant an ID number or code
• Record time, date place of interviews, plus any
  other notable circumstances
• Introduce self study to the interviewee
• Go through information sheet consent procedures

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During the interview

• Conduct the interview in a conversational manner
• Use the interview schedule flexibly so key issues
  are covered, but allow the interviewee time to
  reflect raise new issues
• Probe for clarification, depth detail
• Communicate interest in, respect for, the
  interviewee
• Listen carefully
• Interviewee should talk most
• Never make judgemental comments or gestures
• Avoid expressing own opinions

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Ending the interview

• Check whether the interviewee has anything else
  they want to add
• Thank the interviewee turn off the recorder
• Avoid rushing off in case the participant wants
  to talk further
• Once the interview is completely over the
  interviewee has left, record any private
  observations, thoughts feelings

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Questions
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Part 3 Coding, analysing writing up
qualitative interview data
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Data management

• Transcribe, anonymise log

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Transcribing (handout 2)

• So to start off, would you be able to tell me a
  bit about your use, about your drug use and uma
  bit about your life in general?
• Uhwhere do you want me to start?
• From the beginning if you like.
• I started using drugs likeI started smoking
  cannabis when I was thirteen and I gradually
  moved on to heavier drugs with the crowd I used
  to hang around with.
• Yeah.
• I jut got deeper and deeper into it. I tried to
  get help but the only way I got off it is going
  to prison.
• Right.
• I tried to get maintained and things like that
  and you have got to wait like six or seven weeks,
  you have still got to be using until you get
  maintained. I dont want to keep using. I have
  been trying to stop for ages. I have been taking
  drugs forlike I have just said since I was
  thirteen years old.

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Coding

• Code (index) the transcribed data, usually with a
  software package (e.g. Nvivo, Atlas/ti, MAXQDA)
• Does not analyse the data
• Helps to sort order the data
• Can help to identify emerging themes
• 4 key stages
• Devise coding frame, with on-going refinements
  (handout 3)
• Upload interview transcripts
• Tag interview text segments to codes
• Retrieve text segments/ output/ codings (handout
  4)

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Analysing

• Techniques include
• Thematic analysis Constant comparative method
  Analytic induction Narrative analysis Grounded
  theory Content analysis Framework
• Common key processes of analysis include
• Identifying important phrases, patterns themes
  isolate emergent patterns, commonalities
  differences look for consistencies in the data
  test those consistencies against a formalised
  body of knowledge in the form of constructs or
  theories
• Be systematic, rigorous complete

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Analysis example

• Consistent with Framework (Ritchie Lewis, 2003)
• Read re-read retrieved text segments whilst
  noting key topics themes
• Start at the top of the retrieved segments for a
  given code work down them line by line
• Jot down themes as they occur and record
  interviewee number details in square brackets
  at each occurrence of a theme
• Note any good quotations (handout 5)
• Rationalise and re-group headings throughout the
  process
• Look for patterns connections across the
  emerging themes
• Seek to engage with broader literature, policy
  theory
• Produce a summary sheet (handout 6)

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Publication example

• Neale, J., Sheard, L., Tompkins, C. (2007)
  Factors that help injecting drug users to access
  and benefit from services a qualitative study,
  Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
  2, 31.http//www.substanceabusepolicy.com/content
  /pdf/1747-597X-2-31.pdf

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Questions discussion
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Examples of published qualitative research

• Neale, J., Nettleton, S. and Pickering, L. (2011)
  What is the role of harm reduction when drug
  users say they want abstinence?, International
  Journal of Drug Policy 22 (3), 189-193.
• Neale, J., Nettleton, S., Pickering, L. and
  Fischer, J. (2012) Eating patterns amongst
  heroin users a qualitative study with
  implications for nutritional interventions,
  Addiction 107 (3), 635-641.
• Stevenson, C. and Neale, J. (2012) We did more
  rough sleeping just to be together homeless
  drug users romantic relationships in hostel
  accommodation, Drugs education, prevention and
  policy 19 (3), 234-243.
• Neale, J. and Stevenson, C. (2012) Routine
  exposure to blood within hostel environments
  might help to explain elevated levels of
  hepatitis C amongst homeless drug users insights
  from a qualitative study, International Journal
  of Drug Policy 23 (3), 248-250.
• Neale, J., Nettleton, S. and Pickering, L. (2013)
  Does recovery-oriented treatment prompt heroin
  users prematurely into detoxification and
  abstinence programmes? Qualitative study, Drug
  and Alcohol Dependence 127, 163-169.
• Neale, J. and Stevenson, C. (2013) A qualitative
  exploration of the spatial needs of homeless drug
  users living in hostels and night shelters,
  Social Policy and Society 12, 533-546.

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Further reading

• Creswell, J.W. (2007) Qualitative Inquiry and
  Research Design Choosing Among Five Approaches.
  London Sage
• Gilbert, N. (ed.) (2008) Researching Social Life.
  London Sage.
• Green, J. Thorogood, N. (2004) Qualitative
  Methods for Health Research. London Sage.
• Mason, J. (2002) Qualitative Researching (2nd
  edn). London Sage.
• Matthews, B. Ross, L. (2010) Research Methods
  A Practical Guide for the Social Sciences.
  Harlow Longman.
• Neale, J. (Ed) (2009) Research Methods for Health
  and Social Care. Basingstoke Palgrave.
• Ritchie, J. Lewis, J. (eds) (2003) Qualitative
  Research Practice A Guide for Social Science
  Students and Researchers. London Sage.