Research Guides: Qualitative Research: Methods

Common methods include:

Overview of Participant Observation
- Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 3: Sampling, data collection, and analysis - PMC
Examples of Participant Observation
- Jervis, LL. (2001). The pollution of incontinence and the dirty work of caregiving in the U.S. nursing home. Medical Anthropology Quarterly. 15 (1) 84-99.
- Ware, NC, Lachicotte, WE, Kirschner, SR, Cortes, DE, Good, BJ. (2000). Clinician experiences or managed mental health care: a re-reading of the threat. Medical Anthropology Quarterly. 14(1) 3-27.

Examples of Non-Participant Observation
- Robinson, JD. (2001). Closing medical encounters: two physician practices and their implications for the expression of patients' unstated concerns. Social science and medicine. 53(5) 639-656.
- Heritage, J & Maynard, DW. (Eds.). Communication in Medical Care: Interactions between primary care physicians and patients. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2006.

Types of Individual Interviews

Structured Interviews

Semi-Structured Interviews

Unstructured Interviews

Informal Interviews

Examples of Individual Interviewing

Back, AL, Starks, H, Hsu, C, Gordon, JR. Bharucha, A. Pearlman, RA. (2002) Clinician-patient interactions about requests for physician-assisted suicide: a patient and family view. Archives of Internal Medicine. 162(11) 1257-1265.
England, M. Tripp-Reimer, T. (2003). Imminent concerns of filial caregivers reporting recent experiences of crisis. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 56(1) 67-88.
Gubrium, JF, Rittman, MR, Williams, C, Young, ME, Boylstein, CA. (2003)Benchmarking as everyday functional assessment in stroke recovery. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci, 58(4) S203-211.

Overview

Examples of Focus Groups

Irwin, K, Bertrand, J, Mibandumba, N, et al. (1991). Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about HIV infection and AIDS among health factory workers and their wives, Kinshasa, Zaire. Social Science and Medicine. 32(8) 917-930.
Bradley, EH, McGraw, SA, Curry, L. et al. (2002). Expanding the Andersen model: the role of psychosocial factors in long-term care use. Health Services Research, 37(5) 1221-1242.
Vangeepuram, N, Carmona, J, et al. (2015). Use of Focus Groups to Inform a Youth Diabetes Prevention Model. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2015 Nov-Dec; 47(6): 532–539.e1.

Qualitative Research