1.
From Conclusions to
Community Impact
QUALITATIVE METHODS IN THE LIBRARY, PART 4
JANUARY 2017
CELIA EMMELHAINZ – ANTHROPOLOGY LIBRARIAN – UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY

2.
Stages of qualitative research:
Develop an anthropological question
Lit review and conversations for focus
Choose a method
Choose a sampling strategy
Collect data ethically
Analyze data by coding for themes
Develop and share results in your communities
Isaacs (2014) “An Overview of Qualitative Research Methodology for Public Health Researchers,” p. 318-21

3.
Steps in analysis
a. Memos: Start with a close reading and note interesting
points or starter ideas.
b. Coding: Mark texts systemically with the topics you
observe, moving into specific concepts.
c. Explore: read back over keky texts; explore codes in
relation to each other or to respondent demographics.
d. Share: Use evocative quotations to illustrate your
findings
Kuckartz and McWhertor (2014) Qualitative Text Analysis, p.5, 9

4.
Exploring relationships with queries
Look at quotations in relation to multiple codes
◦ job market OR relocation (broadens)
◦ job market AND relocation (narrows)
◦ job market NOT relocation
◦ student debt WITHIN cost of MLS
◦ successful hire FOLLOWS experience (within a paragraph)
Use Scope to search only some documents
Save resulting quotations under a new Super Code

5.
AND / OR / ONE OF (not both) / NOT

6.
Check out: co-occurring codes

7.
Compare texts by theme

8.
Exercise: Compare texts by theme
Look at the handout of Skills-People coded
quotations and write notes on what you see
(five minutes)

9.
Check out: codes
by document

10.
Check out: codes by document
Left: times coded “harm”
Below: words coded “harm”

11.
Exercise: Review coded
Take a look over the missionary interview and jot
down additional questions you might ask.
(five minutes)

12.
From Coding to Conclusions
a. Once you’ve coded, think of sub-questions you can
further code (or collect additional focused data).
b. List comparison groups that may be useful to explore.
c. Draw connections / maps / visualizations of links.
d. Go back to your data and create vivid narratives or case
stories of why the differences matter.
e. Relate your resulting stories and mapped concepts back
to conversations in your field.
Adapted from Shelly Steward, Changing Gears: From Coding to Conclusions, presentation in the UCB D-Lab, October 28, 2016

13.
Building Networks
Emmelhainz: project on missionary ethics when government restricts access to a country

14.
Building Networks
Emmelhainz: project on study abroad students’ experiences with research and library use, Colby College

15.
Exercise: Develop categories or a network
Look at the list of MLS grad codes and group in
categories or a visual network
(five minutes)

16.
Rigor: how do you know it’s any good?
1. You’re engaged over many visits or interviews
2. Your methods are well-grounded in your question and available theory
3. You’ve worked with an extensive or well-focused sample of people
4. Triangulation with complimentary methods (interviews + observation)
5. You’ve gathered a range of perspectives from different sources or sites
6. You’ve highlighted what doesn’t fit your theory
7. You’ve collaborated or sought input on design, coding, and analysis
8. Your participants can see why you got the results you got
9. You’ve documented your process, analysis, and results
Gilson 2011, adapted in Stoto ea 2012 … Using Qualitative Methods in Public Health Systems Research

17.
Results:
Infographics
Emmelhainz 2015, survey of MLS grads at https://infogr.am/library_grads_by_the_numbers

18.
Results:
Articles
Emmelhainz & Bukhtoyarova 2016 “I Fell Into Librarianship…”

19.
Results:
Marketing
Campaigns
http://transforminglifeafter50.org/files/community_survey_summary.pdf

20.
Exercise: Outreaching back to user communities
Who are you studying? What are you changing?
How could you highlighted key changes you’re
making as a result?
(five minutes)

21.
Questions & Feedback