Chapter Checklists

As a consumer, you should be able to

1. Explain how qualitative research differs from quantitative research
2. Identify the role of the researcher and explain its potential effects on the research process
3. Read the research report and identify the focus or objective of the project
4. Determine what constituted data for the project
5. Identify how the data were collected
6. Read the data analysis section of the research report to determine your level of agreement with the researcher's claims
7. Identify threats to reliability, validity, and credibility of the research process and the findings

As a researcher, you should be able to

1. Make an effective argument for conducting a qualitative research project
2. Select, and argue for, an appropriate researcher role for a specific research project
3. Be sensitive to the intimacy and trust issues that develop between researcher and research participants
4. Identify a research focus for a qualitative research project
5. Develop a purpose statement for a qualitative research project
6. Effectively gain access to a qualitative research site
7. Be flexible if the interaction setting unfolds in an unexpected way
8. Select and explain the sampling units and sample representativeness of the data
9. Select effective and appropriate data observation strategies
10. Document data as evidence in complete and detailed notes
11. Perform the inductive process for analyzing qualitative data
12. Identify and address reliability, validity, and credibility issues throughout the research process
13. Consider and, if appropriate, moderate your impact on research participants and the research process