Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses

9.2 The Four Major Types

of Qualitative Research

1. Which of the following terms are associated with qualitative sampling? (Select all that apply.)
   a. Snowball
   b. Random
   c. Purposive
   d. Subjects


2. Which of the following are techniques for maintaining scientific rigor in qualitative
   studies? (Select all that apply.)
   a. Achieving saturation
   b. Thick descriptions
   c. Peer debriefing
   d. Generalizing to populations

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 9-1

How did you do? 1. a, c; 2. a, b, c

At the end of this section, you will be able to:

‹ Distinguish among the four major types of qualitative research

‹ Discuss the philosophical underpinnings of four major types of qualitative research

‹ Explain the focus of phenomenological inquiry

‹ Give an example of grounded theory used in nursing

‹ Name a major nurse contributor to the advancement of ethnographic research

‹ List two hypothetical examples of historical research in nursing

‹ Discuss how qualitative studies can be used to create evidence-based practice

There are four major types of qualitative research: phenomenology, grounded theory,

ethnography, and historical. Each of these types of research has distinguishing

characteristics, so it is important for a researcher to select a method appropri-

ate to the question. Table 9-1 provides a comparison of these four major types.

Phenomenological Research:

Studying the Lived Experience

Phenomenology is the method used when one wishes to study lived experience.

The general question being asked is, “What is the meaning of. . .?” The goal is to

achieve understanding of an experience from the perspective of the participants.

KEY TERM

member checks:

A strategy used

in qualitative

studies when the

researcher goes

back to participants

and shares the

results with them to

ensure the findings

reflect what

participants said

230 CHAPTER 9 Qualitative Designs: Using Words to Provide Evidence