7.2 Reading qualitative results
Learning Objectives
Learners will be able to…
- Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative results in an empirical journal article
- Describe what a “theme” is in qualitative results
Pre-awareness check (Knowledge)
What do you know about previously conducted qualitative research on your topic?
WRITE AN INTRO FOR THIS SECTION. ALSO, THIS SECTION COULD USE ADDITIONAL CONTENT AND/OR EDITING.
Qualitative results
Quantitative articles will contain a lot of numbers and the results of statistical tests demonstrating associations between those numbers. Qualitative articles, on the other hand, will consist mostly of quotations from participants. For most qualitative articles, the authors want to put their results in the words of their participants, as they are the experts. Articles that lack quotations make it difficult to assess whether the researcher interpreted the data in a trustworthy, unbiased manner. These types of articles may also indicate how often particular themes or ideas came up in the data, potentially reflective of how important they were to participants.
Authors often organize qualitative results by themes and subthemes. For example, see this snippet from the results section in Bonanno and Veselak (2019)[1] discussion parents’ attitudes towards child mental health information sources.
Data analysis revealed four themes related to participants’ abilities to access mental health help and information for their children, and parents’ levels of trust in these sources. These themes are: others’ firsthand experiences family and friends with professional experience, protecting privacy, and uncertainty about schools as information sources. Trust emerged as an overarching and unifying concept for all of these themes.
Others’ firsthand experiences. Several participants reported seeking information from other parents who had experienced mental health struggles similar to their own children. They often referenced friends or family members who had been or would be good sources of information due to their own personal experiences. The following quote from Adrienne demonstrates the importance of firsthand experience:
[I would only feel comfortable sharing concerns or asking for advice] if I knew that they had been in the same situation. (Adrienne)
Similarly, Michelle said: And I talked to a friend of mine who has kids who have IEPs in the district to see, kind of, how did she go about it. (Michelle)
…
Friends/family with professional experience. Several respondents referred to friends or family members who had professional experience with or knowledge of child mental health and suggested that these individuals would be good sources of information. For example, Hannah said:
Well, what happened with me was I have an uncle who’s a psychiatrist. Sometimes if he’s up in (a city to the north), he’s retired, I can call him sometimes and get information. (Hannah)
Michelle, who was in nursing school, echoed this sentiment: At this point, [if my child’s behavioral difficulties continued], I would probably call one of my [nursing] professors. That’s what I’ve done in the past when I’ve needed help with certain things…I have a professor who I would probably consider a friend who I would probably talk to first. She has a big adolescent practice. (Michelle) (p. 402-403)
The terms in bold above refer to the key themes (i.e., qualitative results) that were present in the data. Researchers will state the process by which they interpret each theme, providing a definition and usually some quotations from research participants. Researchers will also draw connections between themes, note consensus or conflict over themes, and situate the themes within the study context.
Qualitative results are specific to the time, place, and culture in which they arise, so you will have to use your best judgment to determine whether these results are relevant to your study. For example, students in my class at Radford University in Southwest Virginia may be studying rural populations. Would a study on group homes in a large urban city transfer well to group homes in a rural area?
Maybe. But even if you were using data from a qualitative study in another rural area, are all rural areas the same? How is the client population and sociocultural context in the article similar or different to the one in your study? Qualitative studies have tremendous depth, but researchers must be intentional about drawing conclusions about one context based on a study in another context.
Key Takeaways
- To understand a qualitative results section, look for definitions of themes or codes and use the quotations provided to understand the participants’ perspective.
Post-awareness check (Emotional)
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being excellent), how would you rate your confidence level in your ability to understand a qualitative results section in empirical articles on your topic of interest?
Exercises
TRACK 1 (IF YOU ARE CREATING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL FOR THIS CLASS)
Select a qualitative empirical article relevant to your topic.
- Write down the key themes the authors identify and how they were defined by the participants.
- How do the authors interpret their results in the discussion section?
- Do the authors provide enough information in the introduction for you to understand their results?
TRACK 2 (IF YOU AREN’T CREATING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL FOR THIS CLASS)
You are interested in researching the effects of race-based stress and burnout among social workers.
Select a qualitative empirical article relevant to this topic.
- Write down the key themes the authors identify and how they were defined by the participants.
- How do the authors interpret their results in the discussion section?
- Do the authors provide enough information in the introduction for you to understand their results?
- Bonanno, R., & Veselak, K. (2019). A matter of trust: Parents attitudes towards child mental health information sources. Advances in Social Work, 19(2), 397-415. ↵