The document discusses qualitative analysis and the process of interpreting qualitative data to answer a research question. It provides an example of a research question looking at whether IL-6 is increased in people with COPD. It then shares quotes from interviews with COPD patients describing how their symptoms impact their daily lives, such as having reduced mobility, function, and ability to participate in social activities. It outlines the procedure for qualitative analysis, including immersion in the data, coding, choosing codes inductively or based on existing theory, and interpreting themes that emerge from the codes.

1. Qualitative Analysis Peter Yeates Suzanne Vaughan

2. What is qualitative analysis? The process of interpreting meaning in qualitative data in order to answer the research question uncovering

3. An illustration Is IL-6 increased in people with COPD? Machine measures Dispassionate No judgements Just counts The researcher is uninvolved Objective

4. I get short of breath when I climb the stairs. I mostly stay downstairs now I can’t get to the pub where I used to meet my friends, as I get too breathless when I’m walking If my chest is very tight in the morning, then I know I won’t be able to do much that day. People stare at me when I go on the bus. They kind of keep their distance. I think it is because the of the way I breath. Maybe it frightens them. I just watch my grandson kicking his football now. I used to love kicking it with him. Summarise: Staying downstairs Can’t go to pub Symptoms vary People stare Can’t play football Reduced participation in society What is it like to live with COPD?

5. 2 common errors No interpretation Just summarise Unjustified opinion Analysis that interprets the data in light of research question, and Justifies its findings Surface analysis Interpret Back to data – justify Refine / re-interpret

6. Procedure for Qual Analysis Assume you already have data Interviews / focus groups / documents / free text survey responses / etc etc Research Question

7. Procedure Immersion Read / re-read / ? Listen back to audio Coding Assigning labels to data to organise it Labels let you pull together similar bits of text

8. I get short of breath when I climb the stairs. I mostly stay downstairs now I can’t get to the pub where I used to meet my friends, as I get too breathless when I’m walking If my chest is very tight in the morning, then I know I won’t be able to do much that day. People stare at me when I go on the bus. They kind of keep their distance. I think it is because the of the way I breath. Maybe it frightens them. I just watch my grandson kicking his football now. I used to love kicking it with him. Reduced mobility Reduced function Symptom awareness Interaction with other people Effect on relationships

9. How to choose codes? Inductive Emerge from reading Theoretical Developed existing theory

10. What do I mean by theoretical coding? Stages of changes model

11. Task 2 groups, each with a different research question Group A: How do students perceive the proposed changes in OSCE marking Group B: How do medical students relate to the institution that is the medical school Individually, inductively code the transcript that we have given you

12. Suggestions Read through it all once Start labelling (coding) individual quotes Give each code a name Keep a list of all of the names of codes Make sure you can find examples of each code Try to re-use codes as much as possible Make sure what you’re coding relates to the research question

13. What did you find? Find a partner Start by comparing the names of your code Do they mean the same thing Have you labelled different thing Compare how you coded each piece of text What are the difficulties of comparing this way

14. Interpretations What themes or ideas start to emerge from your codes Can you illustrate each one with an example Comparisons