Understanding the Analysis of Qualitative Data Flashcards
What are the rules for analyzing qualitative data?
There is no universal rules - no one way to do an analysis
What is qualitative analysis like
it is very labor intensive
requires creativity
arguably harder than quantitative analysis but easier to understand
oftentimes in teams to work
What is the most important thing to do at the start of qualitative analysis to allow for data management and organization
develop a coding scheme for coding your qualitative data
It involves looking at data for underlying concepts
You can do this via manual methods of organization like conceptual files and coding or computerized methods like CAQDAS and ATLUSTI
What are some common coding schemes to choose from
Descriptive Coding
Process Coding
Concept Coding
In Vivo Coding
Holistic Coding
Descriptive Coding
Uses mainly nouns as codes and is often used by beginnin qualitative researchers
takes the big piece of data and compresses it into a small code
ex: “The other day we ran out of everything and we had to go to a church and get food” –> Code: Food pantry use
Does descriptive coding give insight into the meaning of data
no it does not give much insight into meaning
Process Coding
Often involves using gerunds (verbs ending in -ing researchers use as nouns) as codes to connote action and observable activity in the data
ex: “The other day we ran out of everything and we had to go to a church and get food” –> Code: Dealing with food shortages
Concept Coding
involves using a word or phrase to represent symbolically a broad meaning beyond observable facts or bheaviors
the codes are usually nouns or gerunds
ex: The other day we ran out of everything and we had to go to a church and get food –> Code: Coping with the risk of hunger
In Vivo Coding
involves using participant generated words and phrases
Ex: The other day we ran out of everything and we had to go to a church and get food –> Code: Ran out of everything; had to go to a churhc for food
Direct quotation coding
What coding type is often the initial coding used in many grounded theory studies
In Vivo Coding
Holistic Coding
involves using codes to grasp broad ideas in large “chunks” of data rather than coding smaller segments
Ex: “I but on deals. I learned how to, you know, what to buy and what not to buy. Where to shop where to look for sales/ Ill go to all the sotres and I clip coupons from the paper and stuff but sometimes that is not enough the other day we ran out of everything and we had to go to a church and get food” –> Code: Food management strategies
Involves reducing a large chunk into a small code of theme
Once a coding scheme is developed what happens?
the data are read in their entirety and coded for correspondence to the categories
one paragraph may even have 3-4 codes
the researchs may modify the initial coding scheme with new ideas for new codes as well - it can take a long time
Are analytic procedures of qualitative studies universally used?
No the procedures used are unique to each study, but the qualitative analysis puts segments together into meaningful conceptual patterns
What is the basic, non universal way, to start qualitative analysis?
- ID broad categories
- cluster codes that are connected conceptually - ID themes
- pattern them into smaller more manageable bits of data - Final analysis - Weave the thematic pieces into an integrated whole to provide overall structure to the data
Theme
an abstract entity that brings meaning and identity to a current experience and its variant manifestations
Themes are never ____
universal
Some researchers use ____ as an analytic strategy, which are symbolic comparisons, using figurative language to envoke visual analogies
metaphors
Qualitative Content Analysis
analyzing the content of narrative data to ID prominent themes and patterns across them
Involves breaking down data into smaller (meaning) units
May involve taking the manifest content and analyzing the latent content
Meaning Units
the smallest segment of a text that contains a recognizable piece of information
Manifest Content
Content of what the text ACTUALLY SAYS
so if the person is saying they went to church for food that is the exact content
Latent Content
content that is an interpretation of meaning
ex: If they say they went to church for food it may be understood as poverty, famine, etc
What is always needed fr latent content to occur
manifest content
you cant have the latent without the manifest
Thematic Analysis
Braun and Clarke
This is an accessible and theoretically flexible approach to analyzing qualitative data seen as a foundational method for qualitative analysis
involves 6 phases
6 Phases of Thematic Analysis
- Familiarize oneself with the data
- Generate initial codes
- Search for themes
- Reviewing the themes
- Defining and naming the themes
- Producing the report
Ethnographic Analysis
Ethnographers continually look for patterns in the behavior and thoughts of participants, comparing pattern against another
The ethnographer analyzes data for deeper undertanding of the culture being looked at
Uses maps, flowcharts, organizational charts, matrices to help highlight a comparison graphically and discover emerging patterns
What is the main method of ethnographic analysis
Spradley’s Method