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Qualitative methods

Research Aptitude

Useful for: OSSC Art Education Instructor, OSSC Economics, OSSC English, OSSC Foundation Course, OSSC Geography, OSSC History, OSSC Mathematics, OSSC Odia

and 3 more exams

OSSC Physical Education Instructor, OSSC Political Science, SSB Lecturer (Degree Colleges)

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Overview

Qualitative research explores meanings, experiences and contexts through words, observations and documents rather than numbers.

Key points

  • Methods: in-depth interviews, focus groups, participant observation, document analysis.
  • Sampling is usually purposive or snowball.
  • Thematic analysis codes data and groups codes into themes.
  • Grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) builds theory from data.
  • Trustworthiness criteria: credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability.
  • The researcher is the main instrument; reflexivity is important.

Explanation

  • Triangulation uses multiple sources or methods.
  • Member checking asks participants to verify findings.
  • Thick description supports transferability.
  • Phenomenology studies lived experience.
  • Ethics: consent, confidentiality and sensitivity.

Step by step

  1. Identify the concept, method or policy asked.
  2. Recall the definition, thinker, year or rule.
  3. Apply it to the situation and eliminate extreme options.

Examples

  • Interviewing teachers about inclusive classrooms → qualitative interviews.
  • Coding interview transcripts into themes like "time pressure" → thematic analysis.
  • Building a theory of how girls stay in school from field data → grounded theory.

Traps and advanced points

  • Trap: Using random sampling as the norm.
  • Trap: Treating themes as statistics.
  • Trap: Ignoring researcher bias.

Quick revision

  • Interviews, focus groups, observation.
  • Glaser and Strauss 1967.
  • Trustworthiness criteria.

Practice MCQs

  1. A case study examines —

    1. a large random sample
    2. a single unit in depth
    3. only numbers
    4. only past records

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    Answer: (b) a single unit in depth. One person, group or institution studied in depth.

  2. When the researcher joins the group being studied, it is —

    1. non-participant observation
    2. participant observation
    3. questionnaire
    4. experiment

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    Answer: (b) participant observation. The observer takes part in the group’s activities.

  3. A pilot study is —

    1. the final study
    2. a small trial run before the main study
    3. a literature review
    4. a type of sampling

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    Answer: (b) a small trial run before the main study. It tests tools and procedures before the main study.

  4. Triangulation in research means —

    1. drawing triangles
    2. using several methods or sources to confirm findings
    3. three hypotheses
    4. three samples only

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    Answer: (b) using several methods or sources to confirm findings. It strengthens credibility.

  5. The Delphi method collects —

    1. census data
    2. expert consensus through repeated rounds
    3. laboratory readings
    4. public opinion polls

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    Answer: (b) expert consensus through repeated rounds. Anonymous expert rounds converge on agreement.

  6. Content analysis is the systematic study of —

    1. blood samples
    2. documents, texts and media
    3. soil
    4. only interviews in person

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    Answer: (b) documents, texts and media. e.g. analysing textbooks for gender portrayal.

  7. Which is a qualitative method?

    1. standardised test
    2. experiment with control group
    3. regression
    4. focus group

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    Answer: (d) focus group. Also interviews and observation.

  8. Qualitative sampling is usually —

    1. purposive or snowball
    2. stratified
    3. systematic
    4. random

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    Answer: (a) purposive or snowball. Information-rich cases.

  9. Thematic analysis groups codes into —

    1. hypotheses
    2. themes
    3. means
    4. variables

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    Answer: (b) themes. Themes.

  10. Grounded theory was developed by —

    1. Glaser and Strauss
    2. Lewin and Corey
    3. Black and Wiliam
    4. Bloom and Krathwohl

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    Answer: (a) Glaser and Strauss. 1967.

More topics in this chapter

Notes and questions are written by Kundali IQ for practice. They are not official papers; always check the latest official notification for the syllabus and pattern.