1. QUALITATIVE DATA
Qualitative data are forms of information
gathered in a nonnumeric form. Common
examples of such data are:
Interview transcript
Field notes
Video & Audio recordings
Images
Documents (reports, meeting minutes, e-
mails)
2. WHAT IS QUALITATIVE DATA
ANALYSIS?(QDA)
Is the range of processes and procedures
whereby we move from the qualitative data
that have been collected into some form of;
Explanation, understanding, interpretation
of the people and situations we are
investigating.
3. QDA is usually based on an interpretative
philosophy.
To examine the meaningful and symbolic
content of qualitative data.
For example,
by analyzing interview data the
researcher may be attempting to identify
any or all of;
Someone's interpretation of the world,
Why they have that point of view,
4. How they came to that view,
What they have been doing,
How they conveyed their view of their
situation,
How they identify or classify themselves
and others in what they say,
5. QDA usually involves two things,
Writing and the identification of themes.
Writing of some kind is found in almost all
forms of QDA.
In contrast, some approaches, such as
discourse analysis or conversation
analysis may not require the identification
of themes.
6. Types of Data
This is the process of interpreting data collected
during the course of qualitative research.
Analysis of the data depends on its
type;
Analysis of Visual data & analysis of
Narrative data
7.
8. Analysis of a Set of Photographs
A set of photographs could be analyzed;
What is the setting of the photograph?
What is the likely time of year and day?
What is the subject of the photograph?
Does it include people, animals, buildings
and/or scenery?
What is the main activity of the photograph?
Does there seem to be a theme to a set of
photographs?
9. Analysis of Textual Data
To understand society you have to gain
access to the way people attribute
meaning to what goes on around them,
and find out how they react to action or lack
of action
events and/or nothing happening,
people or the absence of people
10. One way of gaining access to people’s
understanding is to capture their talk.
Mean their spoken words turned into
text, or it may mean their words that were
written down by them for themselves,
e.g. diaries
or for others to read e.g. letters
11. Analysis of qualitative data begins before it
is collected;
1. By framing and posing a research
question or problem;
2. Being aware of the theoretical positions
available on the topic,
Researchers' are 'pre-figuring the field' i.e.
anticipating what they may find?
12. Prefiguring the field &
Rigor
Pre-figuring the field runs the risk of
researchers only finding out what they want to
find by only looking for a specific
phenomena, or by being blind to other issues
that arise.
Rigor - the checks and balances built into
qualitative research to make sure it is
believable, trustworthy and credible.
13. Reflexivity
Forewarned is forearmed. By being aware of
the pitfalls of pre-figuring the field, researchers
can maintain an openness to the situation they
are investigating. They can be attentive to
issues that are not expected or do not conform
to existing accounts or theories of society. This
idea of being aware of your own values, ideas
and pre-judgements as a researcher is known
as reflexivity.
14. Iteration
Iteration means moving back and forth. In
qualitative research it is difficult to cleanly
separate out data collection or generation from
data analysis because there is movement back
and forth between generation and analysis.
Researchers usually generate data at a point
in time and also write analytical notes to
themselves about that data. These notes are
then processed into memos or guiding notes to
inform the next bout of data collection. And so
leads the merry dance.
15. Analytical Memos
The sorts of things included are –
The identification of patterns;
Working out the limitations, exceptions and
variations present in whatever is being
investigated;
Generating tentative explanations for the
patterns and seeing if they are present or
absent in other settings or situations;
Working explanations into a theoretical model;
Confirming or modifying the theoretical model;
16. What makes qualitative data analysis
dynamic, exciting and intellectually
challenging is the iteration between
generation and analysis and within the
different types of analytical work.
It is very rare for qualitative data to be
collected all in one go, then processed and
analyzed. If this happened we might criticize
the project for not being true to the context
in which it was generalized, which would
make it a weak piece of work.
17. Triangulation of Analysis
One way of producing believable, credible and
trustworthy work is to use triangulation.
In qualitative analysis means more than one
perspective on a situation e.g. students or service
users, their families and friends, and service
providers.
18. Fluency
To analyze texts for their meaning, researchers
have to be fluent in the language which the
research participants use.
Not just the formal language, but also the
colloquialisms used in every day talk. Listen
carefully next time you are in a public place to
the richness of everyday language that bears
little resemblance to standard English - check
with a friend their interpretation of phrase or word
against your own.
An inability to understand what is said will restrict
researchers' abilities to gain an understanding of
participants' motives, meanings and behaviors.
19. Capturing Talk
The act of capturing talk may shape what
is said and in turn influence how it is
analyzed.
Using tape recorders to capture talk means
that researchers' may attend to the
interviewee without having to focus on
writing down their talk verbatim.
However, the recording will have to be
clear to allow an accurate transcription so
attention to equipment and environment
will have a direct affect on the quality of the
analysis.
20. Processing Texts and
Archiving
The most common way of processing texts is to
transcribe taped talk into word processed
documents. These may then be read and re-read
to identify meaning, patterns and models.
Analytical notes and memos will be made, and all
of these need to stored carefully -
1. to protect the integrity of the original document,
2. to allow the various components of the current
analysis to be identified,
3. to locate the source of the comments made.
21. Use the key questions for analysis to consider the following three
photographs, writing down your thoughts about each.
Photo 1
Suggested Interpretation
This is a busy scene showing lots of young adults (university students)
socialising outside a building. The majority are seated, having
conversations with friends. There are many holding alcoholic
drinks, possibly lager or beer. There is a building in the
background, with a large amount of glass frontage and a couple of tree
trunks in the foreground. The sun is shining and some of the students
are wearing caps. The majority are wearing short sleeved tops, though
have trousers on. The photograph might have been taken in the late
spring, or early/late summer. It is suggestive of the campus being a
lively centre, with the provision of facilities that support student
recreation.
