Data analysis procedures Flashcards
what does the data analysis process start with?
transcription of data
what does qualitative research involve in terms of data collection?
simultaneous data collection and analysis (overlapping processes)
what does data analysis involve?
reading through data repeatedly and engaging in processes of breaking the data down (thematizing) and building it up again (interpreting)
what are the basic patterns for doing qualitative analysis?
interpretive analysis (thematic analysis), social constructionist analysis (discourse analysis)
what is an interpretive analysis (thematic analysis)?
used in qualitative research to identify, analyze, and report patterns (themes) within data
what does interpretive analysis seek to do?
provide ‘thick’ descriptions of the characteristics, processes, transactions and context of the phenomenon
what is the purpose of interpretive analysis?
systematically explore, identify, and understand patterns and themes within qualitative data. This process enables researchers to gain deep insights into the meanings, experiences, and perspectives of participants, thereby addressing research questions that seek to understand complex phenomena.
what is bracketing?
shutting out preconceived ideas about the phenomenon under study
what is an important part of interpretive analysis?
bracketing
what are the steps for interpretive analysis?
1) familiarization and immersion
2) inducing themes
3) coding
4) elaboration
5) interpretation and checking
what is the first step in interpretive analysis and what does it entail?
familiarization and immersion - immersing yourself in all the data, reread texts, listen to audio, make notes and diagrams
what is the second step in interpretive analysis and what does it entail?
inducing themes - work out the organizing principles that underlie the materials
what is the third step in interpretive analysis and what does it entail?
coding - involves marking different sections of data as being instances of or relative to one or more of your themes
what is the fourth step in interpretive analysis and what does it entail?
elaboration - the process of exploring themes more closely, moving sections (codes) around, comparing them and moving sections where they fit better
what is the fifth step in interpretive analysis and what does it entail?
interpretation and checking - a written account of the phenomenon you studied, using thematic categories and sub-sections
what is the most popular approach to constructionist analysis?
discourse analysis
what is discourse analysis?
the act of showing how certain discourses are deployed to achieve particular effects in certain contexts
what are the concepts relating to constructionist analysis?
discourse, effects, context
what are discourses?
broad patterns of talk that are taken up in particular speeches and conversations - not the speeches and conversations themselves
how do you identify discourses?
no hard and fast rules, embedded within particular cultures - analysts need to extract themselves from living within cultures to reflect on cultures - reflect on texts in order to identify the discourses the participants are drawing on in their way of speaking
what are tricks to to help reflect/identify discourses?
looking for binary opposites (smart-stupid, hate-love etc.), identify recurring phrases, metaphors, and terms in the text, consider the human subjects being spoken about in the text
what is the first step in discourse analysis?
striking a critical distance from the text in order to identify discourses
what is the second step in discourse analysis?
see what discourses do - what texts do, not what they say
what are some things texts do?
construct particular realities, convince the reader that the author is a good person, advance a particular ideology, tell the ‘truth’, motivate the reader in a particular way
what does discourse analysis involve?
skeptical reading of texts in which the researcher asks; why these particular binary oppositions, metaphors, phrases, terms and subjects? what other languages could’ve been used?
what categories can discursive research be divided into?
one that contextualizes the text in a micro-context of conversation and debate, one that contextualizes the text in a macro-context of institutions and ideologies
what are common analytic errors?
summarizing, thematizing, contesting, methodolotry, psychologizing, stating the obvious, flights of fancy
what is the error of summarizing in analytics?
analysis should not just be a summary of the text, should show what the text does and how it does it
what is the error of thematizing in analytics?
themes should not be presented as discourses in a constructionist analysis
what is the methodolotry error in analytics?
focus on proving that they followed each analytic step correctly and therefore, the analysis is ‘successful’
what is the psychologizing error in analytics?
analyzing the author behind the text rather than the text itself
what is the error flights of fancy in analytics?
avoid making far-fetched claims, without being able to present any evidence of this from the text
what is the error of stating the obvious in analytics?
avoid spelling out everything happening in the text
