Diagrammatic Elicitation:Using diagrams as a data collecton method. A quick introduction to using diagrams to collect research data

1. Diagrammatic Elicitation:
USING DIAGRAMS AS A
DATA COLLECTION
METHOD
Muriah Umoquit, MA
Research Associate
Clinical Decision Making and Health Care

2. DIAGRAMMATIC ELICITATION: OUTLINE
 Thinking about diagrams
 Participant vs research led diagrammatic elicitation
 Best practices and examples
GOAL: Basic introduction and
make this data collection method
assessable!
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7. A diagram is...
while a concept map
is...
Diagrams
and a mind map is...
Diagrams Network maps
Mind maps Concept maps
Geographical maps Organisational charts
Tables
Drawings

8. WHAT IS A DIAGRAM?
Open-endedness
Linear flow
Visual Verbal
Adapted and visualised from Banks. Visual Methods in Social Research. (2001)
Umoquit et al. Diagrammatic elicitation: defining the use of diagrams in data collection (under review at the International Journal for Qualitative Methods)

9. WHAT IS A DIAGRAM?
Drawings Diagrams Tables & Lists
Purpose Captures essence Ability to simplify Highly structured ideas and
(a salient feature) variables
complex ideas
Abstraction Primarily abstract Some level of Concrete
abstraction
Structure Undirected in representation More direct in terms of Most direct in terms of
representation
(internal) representation;
structure inherent
where pre-agreed
notation is used
Notation No pre-set or agreed May use pre-set or Uses pre-set or agreed
conventions or notations conventions or notations
agreed conventions or
notations
Spatial Spatial arrangements may Spatial arrangements of Spatial arrangements of signs
or may not carry meaning carries meaning
Meaning signs usually carries
meaning
Verbal/visual Visual signs dominate over Composite of both Verbal signs dominate over visual
verbal
spectrum visual and verbal
Table adapted from Varga-Atkins and O’Brien (2009) and Engelhardt (2002)
Umoquit et al. Diagrammatic elicitation: defining the use of diagrams in data collection (under review at the International Journal for Qualitative Methods)

10. EXAMPLE: DIAGRAMMING CLINICAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
Clinical Accountability and
Value-Based Purchasing:
Linking Funding to Quality of
Care
• Mark Dobrow, Louise Lemieux-
Charles, Paul Ritvo, David
Urbach, Walter Wodchis
• Document
analysis, interviews, focus
groups

11. “We would like to examine how you
perceive clinical accountability
relationships in the Ontario cancer
system. Where do you view yourself in
relation to the individuals, groups and
organizations that you are accountable to
or are accountable to you?”

12. 1. 2.
Participant-led Diagrammatic Researcher-led
Elicitation Diagrammatic Elicitation
Macro View Micro View

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17. Participant-led diagrams Researcher-led diagrams
• Participants need guidance • Accessible and understood
and instruction by participants
• Member validation of earlier
• Original diagram created, great
for exploratory means research stages
• Increased focus on
• Unbiased view: no prompts researcher identified issues 17
• Valuable original visual created • Verbal comments including
more detail, insights and
examples

18. EXAMPLES FROM SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
A multidisciplinary systematic
review of the use of diagrams as
a means of collecting data from
research subjects
• Variable terminology across and
even within fields

19. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
 13 indexed sources
(EMBASE; HealthSTAR; Medline; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health
Literature; GEOBASE; InfoTrac Environmental Issues & Policy eCollection;
ProQUEST Dissertations; Design and Applied Arts Index; Education Resources
Information Center; International Bibliography of the Social Sciences; PsychINFO;
Public Affairs Information Services; and Social Science) Citation Index)
 General search tool
Google scholar, Google books
 Input from 35 experts
English
Used diagramming techniques in the data collection
Were evaluative or reflective about the data collection process and/or
analysis
No publication date or publication type restrictions
(dissertations, unpublished work) 19

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21. HOW TO INCORPORATE DIAGRAMING

23. EXAMPLE OF BEFORE AND AFTER
Pre-Intervention Post-Intervention
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24. EXAMPLES OF COMPARING BETWEEN GROUPS
5th Grade
8th Grade
11th Grade
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25. EXAMPLE OF A LESS STRUCTURED DIAGRAM
“It‟s just you are in such a
weird bubble and it‟s such a
weird culture. (…)
something happens to you
when you go through med
school and it‟s just nice to
have people outside of it
that…can keep you
grounded.”
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26. WHAT IS „THE‟ DATA?
= data
= data
e.g. Haidet et al. 2008 e.g. West et al. 2000
= data
e.g. Jafri et al. 2008

27. ANALYSIS
 Counting
 Number of
concepts, links, examples
 Structural scoring
 Weights assigned to
hierarchical
structures, links, etc.
 Relational scoring
 Reflects quality or importance
of concepts e.g. compared to
expert diagram
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28. EXAMPLE OF SORTING
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29. ANALYSIS
 Thematic and content analysis
 Often used with other data collection techniques
 Identify core themes
 Verification of other analysis
A Visual Approach to the Perennial Question: "What is Information?" Presentation and Expert
Panel at iConference, Toronto, Ontario, February 2012
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30. PRESENTATION OF RESULTS
 Diagrams can be scanned, photographed or
recreated by computer
 Recommend showing at least one original
 Variation in terminology between disciplines, relays
to the reader the type and structure of diagram
created or used
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31. EXAMPLE OF PRESENTING DIAGRAMMING RESULTS
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32. DIAGRAMMATIC ELICITATION OVERVIEW
 Decided on participant or researcher-led
 Decide on level of structure of diagram
 Decide on analysis
 Simple to adapt to topic, context
 Excellent addition to other data collection methods
 Readily accepted by participants from youth to
elites
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33. Diagrammatic Elicitation:
USING DIAGRAMS AS A
DATA COLLECTION
METHOD
Questions?