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Basics of health planning / Class 4. Qualitative research methods for planning

Objectives
At the end of this class the students will know

what do "qualitative research methods" mean, and how do they differ from "quantitative research methods"

how qualitative methods are used for planning

what are the main techniques for collecting qualitative information including advantages and disadvantages

Qualitative research is a type of formative research that seeks to understand the meanings of human behavior and the social-cultural context of social interaction. Qualitative research provides insight into the attitudes, beliefs, motives, and behaviors of a target population. By its very nature the research deals with emotional and contextual aspects of human responses rather than with objective, measurable behavior and attitudes. It is conducted to answer the question why (but not how many or how often). Qualitative research is used for discovery (not for proof). Usually it involves a small number of respondents, using non-probability methods. Qualitative research is more interpretative than descriptive.

Qualitative research is used in planning for the following purposes:

to identify needs of a target population

to explain/understand quantitative data

to generate ideas

to aid in development of a quantitative instrument

to develop communication strategies

to develop interventions/programs (especially strategies to achieve behavior change)

to identify problems that may arise from various strategies

to learn "language" and cultural concepts of a target population

Now let's discuss the main techniques used for collecting qualitative data. They include:

1. Observations (participant observations, continuous monitoring, spot checks, etc)
2. Interviews (informal, unstructured, semi-structured, structured (surveys); key informant interviews, focus groups interviews; etc)
3. Systematic data collection methods (free listing, pile sorts, etc)

1. Observations

Observations include gathering in-depth, detailed information in a setting through observing and recording. Observations are what you do when you want to see actual behavior and practices. Depending on the strategy used for observations, they can be

overt - obvious and reactive (people know you are watching them)
covert - unobtrusive and non-reactive (observe without their knowledge)
direct (for example, participant observation)
indirect (for example, medical records study)

Direct observations can have different level of "structure":

Unstructured direct observations - are an example of participant observation used in ethnographic fieldwork-anthropology. This technique gives an insider perspective and is dependant upon obtaining a rapport with target group/responder.

Continuous monitoring (common in psychology) is an example of a more structured type of direct observation. This method of observation involves watching a subject or group, and recording behavior as faithfully as possible.

The most structured type of direct observations are spot checks which are often used in program evaluation. Spot checks are used to observe at a randomly selected time and place what is and what is not being done.

Observations are used in planning

to record the frequency of behaviors for the topic of interest (most reliable method)

to identify previous unknown behaviors that may affect health outcomes

to identify conditions that restrict or support a certain behavior

to gain more in- depth knowledge about cultural practices

Advantages of observations

relatively reliable (as opposed to reported behavior) - actual but not reported/ recalled behavior and practices are seen

Limitations of observations

time and labor intensive (i.e., expensive) - can be simplified through the use of structured forms

difficult to set up logistically

observed behavior may change due to observation

observer bias (due to observer expectations and interpretation) - to avoid it, it is necessary to develop the art of describing

ethical considerations (participant observation)

russian / armenian


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