Critical Thinking about Contradictions in Qualitative Data: How to Code up the Contradictions and the Resolution in NVIVO. Includes basic NVIVO, intermediate models and word counts, and other simple NVIVO activities that support the study of textual evidence.

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Critical Thinking Using
Qualitative Data and Software
Part Two: NVIVO
By Wendy Olsen
2014
Methods@Manchester Workshop
Aiming at PhD Students and Researchers
Who Want to Disseminate Arguments

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AIM 3) NVIVO SKILLS IN WILLIAMSON
ROOM 3.59 COMPUTER CLUSTER
Powerpoint presentation and demonstration
using NVIVO.
Practical Exercise 1: Code your project in
NVIVO – just 3 codes please.
view coding stripes.
Look at models and coding in three
sample NVIVO projects.

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Basic Functions of NVIVO for
Qualitative Analysis
By Wendy Olsen, University of Manchester
Aiming at PhD Students and Researchers
Who Want to Disseminate Arguments
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Where to find self-training
elements
• Click the blue ? circle icon to get help.
• It wants to go onto internet to get help
area.
• This has a SEARCH option.
• GLOSSARY is helpful too.
• TUTORIALS is a set of links to online
video tutorials…
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Lecture – These are key readings for
NVIVO users:
• Gibbs, G.R. (2008) Analysing Qualitative Data,
London: Sage. Has chapters on all topics at a high
level of abstraction, yet also covers details such as
transcription and digitising the textual data.
• It involves “CAQDAS” and covers NVivo, MAXqda 2 and
Atlas.ti 5.2.
• Lewins, A. and Silver, C. (2007) Using Software in
Qualitative Research: A Step-by-Step Guide, London:
Sage. Cover several programs including principally
NVivo, MAXqda 2 and Atlas.ti 5.2.
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Aims of Using NVIVO
• BROWSE / DESCRIBE
• ANALYSE data & DEVELOP
interpretations.
• Systematically interrogate data.
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Aims of Using NVIVO
• BROWSE / DESCRIBE
• Create ‘nodes’ which code segments of data
• Browse these ‘nodes’ and export the chunks of text
• ANALYSE data & DEVELOP interpretations
• Copy and paste Nodes to get them into Trees
• This allows groupings of related concepts/facts/ideas
• Systematically interrogate data
• Leads to more advanced software such as fsQCA,
SPSS
• Can link well with Excel through both IMPORT and
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Another key reading is inside
NVIVO!
• NOTICE the FILE > HELP >
– NVIVO GETTING STARTED GUIDE
– This is really a helpful guide.
• See the FILE menu option, MENU sub-
option!
(SAME AS THE BLUE ? ICON)
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Browse
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To browse means to examine the
text.
• Three types of coding in the texts:
• Retrieval codes
• Analytical codes
• Demographic codes (These are entered
as classifications. Each attribute can
have multiple values, including textual
options.)
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In grounded theory terms….
• Two types of coding in the texts:
• Retrieval codes
• Axial (explanatory, or processual) codes
• See Charmaz’ book on Constructing Grounded Theory
(London, Sage). It is beyond empiricism and moves into
the post-structuralist approach to interpretation.
– That is a good methodological position.
– Grounded theory is not necessarily your approach.
– You can simply do interpretation.
– But for good-quality arguments, use advanced, sophisticated
forms of arguments.
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Sample NVIVO file on Self-Help
Groups as a Banking Initiative
• Interviews are anonymised : bank
managers, customers.
• Texts from PDFs were extracted and
imported -- (Both of these are called
“Sources” in NVIVO)
• Coding of text appears in Free Nodes, and
Tree Nodes
• Coding of the Banks appears as Case
Nodes
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Concept of a code
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Model (making a diagram)
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Helpful hints for Models
• These are used for brainstorming.
• You place CODES here as Project
Items.
• They have CONNECTORS. Add more
of these.
• You add PROJECT ITEM >> NOTE to
make your own freestyle handwritten
notes about the arguments.
– Lay arguments. – no theory
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What do qualitative data
represent?
• Are the texts and images
like a mirror of society?
• This would involve a
correspondence theory of
representation. It is difficult
to justify. So don’t be
simplistic.
• People use metaphors and
analogies based upon real
experience.
• They also use common lay
idioms.
• The meaning has to be
discerned.
• Your knowledge grows with
qualitative experiences.
– These are empirical evidence.
– Be scientific.
– You can do deconstruction
about the underlying situation
and still be scientific.
• Triangulation improves your
mental map of the scene
• Seek valid conclusions
• Causal analysis is important
• The analysis of meanings is
important, too.
• You are doing induction.
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Case Nodes
• The cases have to be discerned first. This
is called ‘casing’. Decide on boundaries
and labels.
• Then you go to NODES and create case
nodes. (CREATE menu option. NODE.
Make sure the cursor is in the right
position before you start this process.)
• Or right-click in the white space below the
list of cases.
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Here is a new case and old
cases.
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Word count
• EXPLORE
• NEW QUERY
– NEW QUERY
• WORD FREQUENCY
– This is a type of query.
– You can adjust the settings.
– To save the Word Frequency query, click the
Add to Project check box, and enter the name
in the General tab
– This is the usual procedure to keep a query.
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Query Results
(‘here’s one I made earlier’)
an' 3 286 5.27
i 1 186 3.43
you 3 159 2.93
de 2 151 2.78
we 2 99 1.82
he 2 70 1.29
dey 3 63 1.16
all 3 62 1.14
when 4 57 1.05
had 3 54 0.99
know 4 44 0.81
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Intermediate functions
• Learning more advanced functions
takes time.
• It is not really necessary but is great
fun.
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22. Helpful hints for Models
• These are used for brainstorming.
• You place CODES here as Project Items.
• They have CONNECTORS. Add more of these.
• You add PROJECT ITEM >> NOTE to make your
own freestyle handwritten notes about the
arguments.
– Lay arguments. – no theory
– Your expert arguments. - invoke theory
– Please try to move toward more advanced,
sophisticated arguments similar to a PhD or Article.30/07/14 22

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Thank you.