8. Qualitative Data Analysis

Question 1

What can we find out from qualitative data analysis?

Answer 1

Extracting meaning from questions / interview responses
Descriptive statistics
Themes & insights

Question 2

What are the issues in qualitative data analysis?

Answer 2

Data overload
Data availability
Data not always easily reduced to numbers
Data rejection (data that conflicts with hypothesis, novel & unusual data)
How to deal with missing information
Confidence in judgement
Inconsistency

Question 3

What are the approaches in qualitative data analysis?

Answer 3

Quasi statistical
Thematic coding
Grounded Theory

Question 4

Describe the different approaches involved in qualitative data analysis

Answer 4

Quasi statistical:
Based on frequency words or phrases appear

Thematic coding:
All data is coded & labelled
Themes are identified
Themes are reviewed to determine any further analysis

Grounded theory:
Version of thematic coding
Based on researchers interpretation of meaning or patterns

Question 5

What is involved in coding?

Answer 5

Recognising connections
Background knowledge required
Notice key terms, people, places, events, behaviours, states activities
Using computer software, coloured pens, highlighter or writing in the margin
Researcher remains open (refine codes until saturation - no more themes/codes emerge)
Some data can be coded in multiple ways

Question 6

How is coding analysed?

Answer 6

Must evaluate, explain & interpret
Make arguments
Discuss connections
Identify regularities
Explain significance
Answer relevant research questions

Question 7

How is coding done (carried out)?

Answer 7

Familiarisation:
Transcribe & read the data

Code:
Coding is guided by the research question
Identify, analyse & interpret expected patterns of meaning (or themes) within data

Categorise:
Read through the list of codes & group in a way that offers description/reason for phenomenon

Interpret:
Decide if categories can be linked & list them as major or minor categories
Identify recurrent themes (most used themes are most important), possible causality, relationships