When responding to your classmates, provide your perspective on qualitative research designs and discuss other research designs that could be used to answer the research question.

First peer below.

My chosen research question was "Does being bilingual have any positive impact on cognitive abilities such as memory and attention span? After reviewing our resources this week I think a great form of qualitative research that would help with the above question is ethnography. "Ethnography is the study of a specific grouping within a culture. Researchers pursuing this study format will immerse themselves into the culture they are researching. The qualitative data is gathered through direct observation of and interaction with participants who belong to that culture. The information is then presented through their perspective. Ultimately, this study aims at understanding group culture" (Hoover, 2021). Due to the focus of the question being on language and different cultures I would also be able to see if it is because of ones cultural background or if it is generalized amount bilingual speaking individuals. Since this would be based with interviews and personal observations I would interview and test the stage of each personals memory and attention span and then observe their everyday life to see if anything aligns.

A strength of ethnography is that it give direct access to the participants through interviews and observation. This research design is intended to uncover the why behind certain research questions instead of a statistical analysis which you would get from quantitative research designs.

Second peer below.

I studied the effects of screen time on the duration or quality of a persons sleep. To explore the effects of screen time on sleep quality and duration through a qualitative experiment, participants would be recruited, ensuring a diverse sample representing various age groups, lifestyles, and screen usage habits. The participants would then be asked to keep a sleep diary for a specified period, documenting their nightly sleep duration, quality, and any factors that may have influenced their sleep, including screen time before bedtime.

Next, qualitative interviews or focus groups could be conducted to delve deeper into participants' experiences and perceptions regarding screen time and its impact on sleep. Open-ended questions would be used to encourage participants to express their thoughts, feelings, and observations freely. Participants could be asked about their screen usage patterns, such as the types of devices they use, the content they consume, and the timing of their screen exposure in relation to bedtime. During the interviews or focus groups, participants could also be prompted to reflect on how screen time affects their sleep quality and duration. This could include discussing any difficulties they experience falling asleep or staying asleep after using screens, as well as any changes they have noticed in their sleep patterns over time in relation to their screen habits. Participants could be asked to share any strategies they have tried or recommendations they have heard for managing screen time to improve sleep.

Qualitative data are ideal for exploratory analysis (Gerring, 2017). The qualitative design outlined provides a nuanced exploration of the impact of screen time on sleep quality and duration, offering in-depth insights into participants' experiences and perceptions. If you ask open-ended questions, follow up particular topics in a second interview, and give the interviewee the opportunity to comment on your interpretation of the answers, you are likely to obtain some rich, original data. (Travers, 2001) By employing open-ended interviews or focus groups, researchers can delve into the intricacies of individuals' screen usage habits and how they intersect with their sleep patterns. This approach allows for the discovery of diverse perspectives and contextual factors that influence the relationship between screen time and sleep, providing a rich understanding of the phenomenon beyond mere numerical data.

However, qualitative research is limited by its small, non-random samples and subjective nature of data analysis. The findings may not be easily generalizable to broader populations, and interpretations may be influenced by researchers' biases. Additionally, qualitative studies typically require more time and resources for data collection and analysis compared to quantitative methods, which may limit the scalability of the research. Despite these limitations, the qualitative design offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of screen time and sleep, complementing quantitative approaches and enriching our understanding of this multifaceted issue.