Introduction to qualitative research in public health Introduction to the content and material to be covered in this subject. • Why study qualitative research? • Examples of qualitative research in...

Introduction to qualitative research in public health


    Introduction to the content and material to be covered in this subject.

•    Why study qualitative research?
•    Examples of qualitative research in public health
•    Expectations of students, lecturers and tutors
•    The role of argument and critical thinking
•    What we will look for in assessment tasks
2
    Research paradigms and research design


    Overview of two key health research paradigms in the study of public health (positivist and constructivist) and how paradigms influence research design. Introduction to the key elements of research design;
•    Defining the problem
•    Refining the question
•    Determining population, sample, recruitment method
•    Choosing data collection tools and data anlaysis approach
3
    Research ethics


    Introduction to the ethical principles that underpin research with humans, paying specific attention to;
•    The particular ethical issues in qualitative research and how to approach them in practice
•    Ethical issues to consider when working with indigenous communities
•    Lynn and Richard will present a historical perspective, as well as the current ethical guidelines.
4
    Research design and populations and sampling


    Utilising our understanding of research paradigms, ethics and research design, we will examine use of populations and samples in qualitative research;
•    the difference between qualitative and quantitative sampling methods
•    how to research ‘hard to reach’ samples

•    how to evaluate sampling strategies
•    purposive sampling and thoretical sampling
5
    Data Collection – Individual interviews


    Individual interviews as a data collection tool
•    Words as data
•    Key principles of qualitative data collection
•    How and when and why to do individual interviews
•    Strengths and weaknesses
•    Principles of effective interviewing
•    How to manage and store data
For this assignment, all material covered in weeks 1-5.
Summary of research paradigms (week 2)
•    You can now define a paradigm (short hand – ‘worldview’)
•    You know that in health research two key paradigms are positivist and constructivist
•    Historically these two were in conflict
•    Contemporary public health values both, and a pragmatic approach often taken
•    Yet we need to remain aware that paradigm influences research design

Summary of Ethics lecture (week 3)

•    We looked at both the principles of ethical research, why they are important and an example of an application of these principles – research with indigenous communities.
•    The principles:
•    Respect for human dignity
•    Duty of nonmaleficence
•    Duty of beneficence
•    Respect for autonomy
•    Promotion of justice
•    Additional protections for indigenous communities
•    Right to self-determination
•    Right to full and fair participation
•    Right to control and maintain cultural heritage


Summary of population and sampling (week 4)

Can be simplified into four steps:
1.    Defining the population (& sampling frame)
•    The population we are interested in is defined by inclusion and exclusion criteria


2.    Estimating the sample size
3.    Selecting a sampling strategy
•    Examples of possible sampling strategies;
•    Snowball
•    Purposive/Theoretical
•    Convenience

•    Maximum variation
•    Quota/stratified


4.    Choosing a recruitment method
•    The recruitment method describes how you will approach potential participants and invite them to join your study,

a.    has to be done according to ethical principles, e.g. maintaining privacy, participation is voluntary,

•    Potential methods of recruitment;
b.    Advertise in newspaper/radio/online
c.    Mail out to membership of a particular group/club
d.    Clinic attenders
e.    Participants in a survey
f.    Member of a particular community known to you
Assessing populations and samples in qualitative research
•    Validity
•    Reliability
•    Bias
•    Triangulation
•    Generalisability