Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services

Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services

Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services

Qualitative Research in Nursing Practice

To prepare:

Consider your readings about and understanding of quantitative and qualitative research. If you had to choose, which type of research (quantitative or qualitative) do you think is more rigorous and why? Do you think it is useful to make such generalizations and comparisons?

Locate an article describing a qualitative research study related to a health care topic.

Formulate a research question to address the problem and that would lead you to employ correlational statistics.

With information from the Learning Resources in mind, critically analyze your selected study. Ask yourself: How rigorous was the study in terms of the researchers’ efforts, the data collected, and the conclusions drawn? What might the researchers have done to improve the rigor?

Post 1-2 pages cohesive response that addresses the following:

1. Do you think there is one type of research (quantitative or qualitative) that is inherently more rigorous than the other? If so, identify which one and why. If not, discuss your reasoning.

2. Post a brief summary of your research article analysis and the correct APA citation for the article.

3. Outline how the study’s qualitative data collection and analysis did, or did not, promote rigor, provide scientific or systematic scaffolding, and/or generate a more thorough analysis of the research topic.

Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services

References

Required Media

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Research methods for evidence-based practice: Qualitative research. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Required Readings 

Gray, J.R., Grove, S.K., & Sutherland, S. (2017). Burns and Grove’s the practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.

Chapter 12, “Qualitative Research Methods” (pp. 251-274)

Articles

Bradley, E. H., Curry, L. A., & Devers, K. J. (2007). Qualitative data analysis for health services research: Developing taxonomy, themes, and theory. Health Services Research, 42(4), 1758–1772. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6773.2006.00684.x

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Smith, J., & Firth, J. (2011). Qualitative data analysis: The framework approach. Nurse Researcher, 18(2), 52–62.

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services Research: Developing Taxonomy, Themes, and Theory Elizabeth H. Bradley, Leslie A. Curry, and Kelly J. Devers

[Correction added after online publication February 2, 2007: on the first page, an author’s name was misspelled as Kelly J. Devens. The correct spelling is Kelly J. Devers.]

Objective. To provide practical strategies for conducting and evaluating analyses of qualitative data applicable for health services researchers. Data Sources and Design. We draw on extant qualitative methodological literature to describe practical approaches to qualitative data analysis. Approaches to data analysis vary by discipline and analytic tradition; however, we focus on qualitative data analysis that has as a goal the generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory germane to health services research. Principle Findings. We describe an approach to qualitative data analysis that applies the principles of inductive reasoning while also employing predetermined code types to guide data analysis and interpretation.

These code types (conceptual, relationship, perspective, participant characteristics, and setting codes) define a structure that is appropriate for generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory. Conceptual codes and subcodes facilitate the development of taxonomies. Relationship and perspective codes facilitate the development of themes and theory. Intersectional analyses with data coded for participant characteristics and setting codes can facilitate comparative analyses. Conclusions. Qualitative inquiry can improve the description and explanation of complex, real-world phenomena pertinent to health services research. Greater under- standing of the processes of qualitative data analysis can be helpful for health services researchers as they use these methods themselves or collaborate with qualitative re- searchers from a wide range of disciplines.