Qualitative Research Methods Flashcards

Which of the following is the strongest indicator that a qualitative study has achieved data saturation?

Answer: No new themes or concepts emerge from additional interviews

Data saturation occurs when additional data collection yields no new categories, themes, or meaningful insights, signaling sufficient depth.

A researcher wants to explore what is conspicuously absent from consumers' spontaneous descriptions of a brand. This analysis approach is known as:

Answer: Latent content analysis

Latent content analysis looks beyond manifest statements to uncover underlying meanings, including what is implied or deliberately omitted.

In an online ethnography (netnography) study, a researcher reads and analyzes consumer discussions in brand forums without participating. This is called:

Answer: Passive netnography

Passive netnography involves observing and analyzing online communities without engaging or influencing the conversation.

Which of the following best demonstrates reflexivity in qualitative research?

Answer: Keeping a researcher journal documenting personal assumptions and their potential influence

Reflexivity requires researchers to critically examine how their own background, assumptions, and presence may shape data collection and interpretation.

A participant in a depth interview keeps redirecting answers toward a topic the moderator did not raise. The BEST response is to:

Answer: Note the topic and probe it after completing the planned questions

Unsolicited topics often signal high salience to the participant; a skilled interviewer acknowledges them and revisits later without abandoning the guide.

The 'constant comparative method' is a core analytical procedure in which qualitative tradition?

Answer: Grounded theory

Grounded theory's constant comparative method involves continuously comparing new data with existing categories to refine and develop theory.

When recruiting focus group participants, homogeneity within groups is typically preferred because it:

Answer: Reduces inhibition and promotes open discussion among similar peers

Participants with similar backgrounds or experiences tend to feel more comfortable sharing freely, reducing status-based inhibition in group dynamics.