D: data analysis: manual and computer-supported Flashcards
What to do with so much data?
Combine inductive and deductive logic with the data
First use induction to see patterns and give interpretations of the data
Next, use deductive approach by looking back at existing research and literature and making an analysis based on that data
Primary coding
Primary cycle of coding refers to inductive logic
Secondary coding
Secondary cycle coding looks at deductive logic
Primary and secondary coding diagram
Data → primary coding → theory/literature → secondary cycle coding
Specific instances → inductive → general principles → deductive
Steps for iterative qualitative analysis
- Preparing raw data
- Primary cycle: immerse yourself in the data, create “open” codes
- Creating a code book
- Secondary cycle coding: create the hierarchical categories
- Revisit the scholarly literature
- Crete relationships between the categories
Step 1: Preparing raw data
After you collect data
Organize your data, especially on a large scale, use the filed notes and transcripts
- assign pseudonyms for participants (match first letter of name)
- organize data in order you plan to analyze: chronological orders, by type (interview/observation), or through sources (employees/managers)
Step 2: primary cycle: immerse yourself in the data
Read through transcript, take it in, ask yourself “what is going on here, what do you see”
Identify data as belonging to or representing some type of phenomenon
Create codes that are words and short phrases that capture the salient attributes of your data, descriptive and from the data itself
Goal: to detail who, what, where, not why or how
Step 2: primary cycle: create “open” codes
Find balance in how much detail have you in your open coding (not fruit, but orange)
Code manually by hand printing your transcripts and highlight/comment or use atlas.ti
Constant comparative method: Code on the level of the sentence of the paragraph, decide wether the line below it deserves a new code or not, create “in vivo” codes that stick closely to what the participants of your data said and what you observed
Goal: capture participants meanings
What is a code
A label that you apply to a sentence or paragraph
Constant comparative method
Constantly compare new uncoded data with your old codes
Try to apply the same codes to see if it fits with the data
Step 3: creating a codebook
Combine all your interviews in 1 list and generate 1 code book, clean up codes to avoid duplicates
Count amount of times each code appears, if there is only 1 of a code maybe remove the code or do more research
Assess your codes against your initial research, does it help you answer the RQ
Create definitions for all remaining codes, chose a quote that best represents the code
What is a codebook?
A map of your data, tells in an overview what the content of your data is
Can be created with excel or on atlas.ti
Step 4: secondary cycle coding
A form of data reduction
The first step towards noticing broader patterns in your data
Help to answer your RQ: moving from describing to explaining and theorizing
You can begin to see where your analysis can “fill gaps” in existing research and show theoretical relevance
By the end of the codebook you should have
Created hierarchical categories and have done research into literature to show linkage to your data and existing research
How to you make hierarchical categories
Group codes that seem close to each other
Cut/paste one thats look like each other and put them together
Natural categories will form, name or color code them
Computer-supported qualitative data analysis
Researchers should not fully rely on computers to analyze their data
Researchers should be able to interpret it by ourselves
Researcher knows the interviewee, computer doesn’t
How can computers help with qualitative data analysis
Indexing: index words and address of a text message of line numbers or where to find something, code your data and then easily retrieve it through indexing, done through page numbers
Cross referencing: constructed through hyper links, click on them to go the other text or another part of your code
