Deck 12: Analyzing Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Data

Question 1

Esme is interested in the personal experiences of first-year medical students and plans an ethnographic study,in which she'll collect observational field notes,extensive interview data,and diaries from the participants.For her analysis,she plans to begin by developing a start list.In other words,Esme will:

A)make a list of categories and themes derived directly from the research problem.
B)briefly review the data in search of topics or themes that pop out right away.
C)divide the data into general but meaningful chunks before beginning more detailed analysis.
D)apply her initial coding scheme to a subset of her data.

Answer 1

make a list of categories and themes derived directly from the research problem.

Question 2

In a grounded theory study,the focus of data analysis is to:

A)identify a new theory arising from the data.
B)test a theory grounded in previous research.
C)use open categories to identify theoretical properties rather than themes.
D)follow a structured and systematic analytical plan based on previous theories.

Answer 2

identify a new theory arising from the data.

Question 3

Morisha is a policy researcher who studies parents' interest in charter schools.As part of her work she conducted extended interviews with parents who wanted to enter their children into charter schools for high school.While conducting her interviews,she noticed one family whose reasons were so unlike the others that she wondered whether she should even include the data in her sample.Your best advice to her would be to:

A)exclude the data because the family is such an extreme outlier; maybe they weren't really honest.
B)review the interview questions to see if they're biased in some way.
C)collect more data because this family probably isn't unique.
D)keep the data,and make sure her analysis plan accounts for a broad range of responses.

Answer 3

keep the data,and make sure her analysis plan accounts for a broad range of responses.

Question 4

Which of the following is not a general strategy for organizing and analyzing qualitative data?

A)Convert the data into one or more forms that will be easy to organize and analyze.
B)Organize the data in a preliminary,superficial way that will enable you to locate them easily as you proceed.
C)Identify preliminary categories that are likely to be helpful in coding the data.
D)Avoid organizing the data so that valuable information isn't lost in sorting.

Question 5

Kavanir has developed an initial coding scheme for his qualitative data.Ideally,his next step in his analysis should be to:

A)develop a more detailed set of subcodes that will capture the nuances of the data.
B)apply it to a subset of the data and then re-evaluate the codes.
C)collect his data.
D)compute interrater reliability.

Question 6

The process of qualitative data analysis is sometimes described as a spiral,which involves four iterative steps that gradually move the process forward.The final step in the qualitative data analysis spiral is usually:

A)quantifying certain noteworthy characteristics or events.
B)developing a new,coherent theory to account for the findings.
C)synthesizing and interpreting the data.
D)writing a paper for possible publication.

Question 7

As a result of a domain analysis,ethnographers often identify certain parts or elements of cultural meanings and organize them into larger units.What are these larger units called?

A)cultural domains
B)ethnographic groupings
C)open codes
D)axial codes

Question 8

Both Marianne and Bill examined the same set of qualitative data collected from couples in a study designed to understand relationship stress.Interestingly,the themes that emerged from the data were not consistent across the two researchers.Of the following,which is the most likely reason for the discrepancy?

A)The data were not valid.
B)The coding scheme was not reliable.
C)Qualitative analysis is too subjective.
D)The patterns in the data were too subtle.

Question 9

A key component of data analysis in a content analysis study is to:

A)engage in axial coding around a core category.
B)speculate about possible cause-and-effect relationships.
C)systematically identify exceptions,contradictions,and outliers.
D)identify frequencies and other summary statistics for the main coding categories.

Question 10

Byron conducted a qualitative study that included coding a large set of transcribed data.He applied codes to his data and then asked his colleague,Adeline,to also code the data using his coding structure.What was Byron trying to establish by having Adeline code the work?

A)trustworthiness
B)credibility
C)validity
D)interrater reliability

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a step in the data analysis process for mixed methods studies?

A)Condensing the data
B)Depicting general patterns in the data in ways that enable quick visual inspection.
C)Ensuring the accuracy of the quantitative measures so that the qualitative responses are less important to the study
D)Systematically comparing and integrating results from the two types of data.

Question 12

A viable alternative to a meta-analysis for qualitative and mixed-methods studies is a(n)

A)literature review.
B)systematic review.
C)report summary.
D)qualitative analysis.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a widely recommended strategy for enhancing the trustworthiness and credibility of qualitative findings?

A)Strive for balance,fairness,and completeness in data analysis and interpretation.
B)Carefully document your analysis procedures.
C)In your final report,be up front about your personal biases.
D)Carefully calculate reliability and validity statistics

Question 14

Cristina is conducting a mixed-methods study that includes data gathered through a quantitative survey as well as follow up survey transcripts.She works diligently to calculate basic descriptive statistics as well as identifying codes and themes in her qualitative data.What process is Cristina involved in?

A)Condensing the data
B)Organizing the data
C)Collecting the data
D)Interpreting the data

Question 15

In this type of coding structure,an emergent category is chosen as a core category.What type of coding structure does this describe?

A)axial coding
B)open coding
C)thematic coding
D)purposive coding

Question 16

Ethnographers often conduct a(n)________ in order to identify certain cultural patterns that can guide further data collection and analyses.

A)domain analysis
B)cultural domain
C)data analysis
D)open coding process

Question 17

When a qualitative researcher makes a first pass at a set of data without a preconceived coding structure in mind,she is engaging in what type of coding process?

A)axial coding
B)open coding
C)thematic coding
D)purposive coding

Question 18

Qualitative data analysis is a process of

A)deduction.
B)induction.
C)generalizability.
D)statistical analysis.