1.4 Non-Experimental Methods

1. 1.4 Non-Experimental Methods Qualitative Research

2. Comparison: Qualitative Vs. Quantitative Research • Triangulation: Combination of different research methods • Deductive Approach: Hypothesis is tested against empirical evidence • Inductive Approach: Variables NOT clearly defined. Gather data, interpret findings

3. Qualitative: • Goal NOT to identify cause-and-effect • Find meanings within data and findings • NOT to predict • More subjective

4. Interviews • Common way to gather qualitative data • Interview Schedule: plan for conducting • Interviewer Skills (minimize Interviewer effects): • Interpersonal skills • Verbal skills • Professional • Participant Bias • Social Desirability Bias

5. Types of Interviews • Structured: highly controlled, easy to analyze • Unstructured: highly flexible, often only topic and time are controlled. More difficult to analyze. • Semi-Structured: Combo of above

6. Ethics in Interviews • Be a Researcher pg. 32 • Rules • Informed consent • Confidentiality • Right of Withdrawal

7. Observation • Naturalistic Observation • Data collection in natural setting/environment • Ex. Animal observations • Goal NOT cause-and-effect • Challenges • Not easy to collect “all” data • Researcher bias • Inter-observer reliability

8. Non-participant Observation • Researcher not part of the group • Issues • Reactivity could be an issue. • Demand Characteristics • Researcher bias • Covert Observation • Overt Observation

9. Participant Observation • Researcher is part of the observation • Participates, documents, interviewing, reflection • Overt or Covert • Challenges: • Bias, • maintaining balance • Taking timely notes

10. Ethics of Observational Research • Informed consent • Debrief • Covert: needs ethics committee approval • Could info be obtained otherwise • Public places usually ok, • What if private information revealed in a public meeting? Alcoholics Anonymous

11. Case Studies • Observation of individual or group