Maria Douka
Fifth Annual Regional Social Work PhD Seminar
‘Doing Social Work Research’
Sheffield, 4th July 2014
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Definition
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Use of vignettes
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Vignettes in the context of GT
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Examples
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Limitations of vignettes
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Conclusion
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Vignettes are heavily abbreviated case
studies of a hypothetical nature
They describe a situation in which
participants have to build up
their answers
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To break the ice between the researcher
and the participant
To tap into the participants’ thoughts and
feelings
To stimulate the discussion and maximise
participants’ ability to provide information
To describe situations that happen in the
respondent’s personal/working lives
To establish ways to pool information in a
diverse research topic
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As a method to keep participants
more focused on the subject
The R avoids asking leading
questions
The R avoids passive behaviour of
participants
The R avoids suspicions that the
researcher covertly conducting a
regulatory inspection
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As a technique to study sensitive
situations
As a way to express personal
opinions of subjects that are
considered too difficult for direct
answers
As a method when participants have
no direct experience and knowledge
of the area of study
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Title of my research project:
‘Continuity of Care for People with Mental
Health Problems: The role of Social Workers’
Methodology:
Methods:
Participants:
Grounded Theory
Vignettes and semi-structure
interviews
Social Workers
Research carried out in Greece
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Reasons to use vignettes:
 Lack of knowledge or theoretical
background on CoC of social
workers
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Providing critique on policy issues
e.g. Psychiatric reforms under the
financial crisis
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Related research articles:
a.
Long-Sutehall, Willis H., Palmer R., Ugboma D., Addington-Hall J.,
Coombs M., (2011), Negotiated dying: A grounded theory of how
nurses shape withdrawal of treatment in hospital critical care units,
International Journal of Nursing Studies, 48:1466-1474
The project was about the views of nurses on
withdrawal of treatment for the dying patient
b. Kennedy TJ, Regehr G, Currie R. and E., Ross-Baker G., Lingard L,
(2009), Preserving professional credibility: grounded theory study
of medical trainees’ requests for clinical support, British Medical
Journal, available at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2640114
The need for clinical support, requested by medical trainees from their
supervisors
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John is a 54-year-old man who lives alone.
He was diagnosed with schizophrenia when
he was young. He is currently hospitalised
after a serious acute episode. He informed
the social worker that he has no place to live
as he has not paid the rent on his house for
months, and that soon he will be homeless.
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The social worker has to inform him about
what care options are appropriate for him.
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What “type of care” should a social worker
provide for this patient? OR
How you think a social worker would
respond to this patients’ needs?
The “should” and “would” questions
Asking indirect questions is a less
threatening and intimidating approach for
the respondents
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Participants may express their views
in a “socially desirable” way
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There is distance between the
vignette and social reality
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Actions and beliefs might be different
from those described in the vignette
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Vignettes should not be used as a
stand alone method but as a
complementary method
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Vignettes are less threatening
approach to interviews
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Vignettes can be used to pool
sensitive information on a subject
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Thank you!
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