qualitative research methods - marking practice

Practice marking

Laura Swash, March 2014 1

The LOs are on p 27 of the guide. They are a mixture of Level 2 & Level 3

command terms. The Level 2 command term usually used is

“Explain” - give a detailed account including reasons or causes.

Learn the LOs associated with each qualitative method (interviews, case studies and observations). Your exam questions will be based on applying these to the stimulus material.


The stimulus material below is based on a research article.

“Befriending” is a term for developing a friendly relationship between a volunteer and a “befriendee”, i.e. a person who is given the opportunity to have a friend. The purpose of such a relationship is to benefit a person at potential risk: for example adolescents from minority groups.

Befriending programmes have been found to benefit the befriendees by protecting them from loneliness and social isolation. One such befriending programme in Scotland was concerned with social inclusion of young people from minority backgrounds by establishing relationships between them and members of the majority group.

McVittie, Goodall and Barr (2009) conducted a qualitative study on the befriending programme from Scotland mentioned above. The aim of their study was to investigate the outcome of befriending from the perspective of befrienders. The outcome of the befriending scheme was very much dependent on the motivation and involvement of the participants, i.e. the befrienders.

Therefore the researchers were particularly interested in their view of the scheme and the befrienders’ relationships with the young people. The ten participants in this study were five males and five females ranging in age from 25 to 36. The researchers collected data with semi-structured interviews, which were audio recorded and transcribed with the participants’ consent. The researchers used inductive content analysis to analyse and interpret the transcripts.

The findings of the study showed that the befrienders suggested that they themselves received several benefits from the befriending programme, for example appreciation of other cultures, being welcomed in the families of the young people, and getting insight into the community-based difficulties that minority cultures experience. Overall, the befrienders had a positive view of the programme. Research on befriending programmes has found that befriendees normally report positive experiences. This qualitative study now confirms that befrienders also benefit from such programmes.


1. Explain possible effects of participant expectations on the findings of this study.

2. Discuss the use of semi-structured interviews in this study.

3. Explain how researchers could use inductive content analysis on the transcripts of the semi-structured interviews in this study.

[10 marks each]Laura Swash, March 2014 4

Participant expectations can affect the findings of any study, thus they can have affected the findings of this particular study, aiming to “investigate the outcome of befriending from the perspective of befrienders”.

By participant expectations, we mean ways in which participants, i.e. the befrienders in this case, could have understood what was the aim of the study and what the researchers expected them to do and could have therefore altered their behaviour both positively and negatively in order to behave in accordance with those desires.

In this case, as the research was conducted on a socially sensitive issue, i.e. “social inclusion of young people from minority backgrounds” effects of social desirability could have taken place during the semi-structured interviews, i.e. the befrienders might have wanted to come across as socially sensitive and helpful people and for this reason claim to have “received several benefits”. (1)

In addition, it is likely that the befrienders had understood the aim of the research, as in this case the researchers were interested in the befrienders’ view of the situation. Therefore, they might have wanted to behave in accordance with their desires and give appropriate responses during the interviews. (2)

Moreover, it was stated that motivation and involvement of the befrienders’ part was very important in terms of the outcome of the research. It could have therefore been the case that participants might have become too involved with their befriendee and this could have affected their expectations as in that they were no longer objective judges of the situation as they might have thought that the researchers would have expected them to form a close relationship with the befriendees and it may be the case that they may not have done so under other circumstances. (3)

Therefore it is clear that participant expectations could have possible affected the findings.

Definition of participant expectations applied to the study.

3 reasons for the study possibly generating participant expectations. Explain requires “a detailed account including reasons or causes” – this is done.

BUT the question says “effects” and this has not been answered. What effects could these participant expectations have on the study?


4 to 7

The question is partially answered. Knowledge and understanding is accurate but limited. Either the command term* is not effectively addressed or the response is not sufficiently explicit in answering the question. The response makes limited use of the stimulus material.

7/10

_______________________________*“Explain” - give a detailed account including reasons or causes.


Semi-structured interviews are a way of gaining insight into another person’s experiences and way of thinking and judging the world.

In this study semi-structured interviews could have helped researchers as they were “interested in the befrienders’ view of the scheme and the befrienders’ relationship with the young people”.

Therefore, through open and closed-ended questions and by checking that all themes from the guidelist had been addressed by also leaving room for other issues that might have araised. researchers could have gained insight into how the befrienders viewed the situation. (1)

Also, this research method enabled for the researchers not to have total control over the situation and researcher effects could have been minimised. (2)

Additionally, an audio recorder was used, which shows that befrienders must have given their consent and that it enabled for a rapport to be more easily established as the researchers would not need to be constantly taking notes and could therefore maintain eye-contact and make the situation less artificial, as this is one of the problems sometimes faced in such situations. (3)

In addition, ethical issues regarding this research method must have been followed (at least up to the point that we can be aware of) as befrienders were asked to give their consent in order for the data to be transcribed. (4)

Also, it can be assumed that researchers tried to control variables such as gender, as equal numbers of men and women were found, and this would make the data analysis more interesting, as gender differences could have been found. (5)

However, one problem concerning semi-structured interviews is that the data obtained is enormous and makes data analysis for the researchers very time-consuming.

In addition, it can be argued that if other studies find similar results with the ones obtained through this study, e.g. befrienders received several benefits, then these results from the semi-structured interview could be generalised to similar populations, settings and theories that provide consistent results. (6)

Therefore, the use of the semi-structured interview in this qualitative study seems to have benefited the researchers McVittie, Goodall and Barr and to have helped them reach credible conclusions.

Shows knowledge of semi-structured interview method.

6 reasons given for the use of SSIs and applied to this study (4 & 6 could apply to any method).

1 limitation noted (others missed-particularly susceptible to participant expectations, unconscious signals can be given by interviewed, especially as in this case interviewers already aware of the general success of the scheme)


8 to 10

The question is answered in a focused and effective manner and meets the demands of the command term*. The answer is supported by appropriate and accurate knowledge and understanding of qualitative research methodology. The response demonstrates a critical understanding of qualitative research methodology applied to the stimulus material.

8/10

_______________________

*Discuss: Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.


The data obtained from this study through the use of semi-structured interviews, could have been analysed by the use of inductive content analysis.

This type of analysis refers to (IPA) inferential phenomenological analysis, which means that the researchers try to reach conclusions through the study based only on what the befrienders i.e participants told them. This means that the results of the study reflected the befrienders’ true experiences and views of the situation. This is what qualitative research is about, and therefore the use of inductive content analysis would make the results credible.

Inductive content analysis takes place through the following way: first of all researchers should become very familiar with the transcripts which were made by the participants’ consent and they should therefore read and re-read them. (1)

Then they could identify any emergent themes that reflect essential meanings of what the befrienders experienced. (2)

These emergent themes could then be structured by for example creating clusters of themes that go together, e.g. all the examples of benefits listed in the study such as “appreciation of other cultures” etc. could have been listed as a cluster of themes labelled as several benefits. (3)

Then researchers could construct a summary table of all the themes together with quotations that summarise the meanings of the themes. This should be carried out in a way that would make the data analysis comprehensible by all befrienders. (4)

Befrienders could also be asked if the results reflect their true view of the situation and if they wished to withdraw any information. (5)

Data analysis should be terminated only when the researchers were unable to find any new information, i.e. until the data is saturated. (6)

Defines inductive content analysis and also credibility.

Identifies 6 stages of ICA and relates them to the study.


8 to 10

The question is answered in a focused and effective manner and meets the demands of the command term*. The answer is supported by appropriate and accurate knowledge and understanding of qualitative research methodology. The response demonstrates a critical understanding of qualitative research methodology applied to the stimulus material.

10/10

___________________________

*Explain - give a detailed account including reasons or causes.


qualitative research methods - marking practice

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