Chapter 14 Analysing Qualitative Data

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Chapter 14Analysing Qualitative Data

• Zina OLeary

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QDA

• Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) creates new
  understandings by exploring and interpreting
  complex data from
• interviews
• group discussions
• observation
• journals
• archival documents, etc.
• without the aid of quantification.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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QDA

• In QDA, there is a reliance on words and
  images to draw out rich meaning.
• Analysis should be approached as a critical,
  reflexive, and iterative process that cycles
  between data and an overarching research
  framework.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Data Management

• Managing qualitative data involves
• familiarizing yourself with appropriate software
• developing a data management system
• systematically organizing your data
• making overarching notes
• preparing transcriptions
• and finally (if using QDA software) entering the
  data.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Logic and Methods

• The methods and logic of QDA involve
• balancing creativity and focus while uncovering
  and discovering themes that run through the raw
  data.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Logic and Methods

• QDA involves
• identifying biases and noting impressions
• reducing
• organizing and coding
• searching for patterns and interconnections
• mapping and building themes
• building and verifying theories and drawing
  conclusions.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Funnelling Towards Meaning
Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Cycles of Reasoning

• Qualitative data analysis often involves
• moving through cycles of inductive and deductive
  reasoning
• thematic exploration (based on word, concepts,
  literary devises, and nonverbal cues)
• and exploration of the interconnections among
  themes.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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QDA

• There are a number of paradigm/ discipline
  based strategies for QDA including
• overarching methodologies
• content, discourse, narrative, and conversation
  analysis
• semiotics
• hermeneutics
• and grounded theory.
• Visual analysis intersects with all of these
  and reminds researchers of the importance of
  images.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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QDA Presentation

• Effective presentation of qualitative data
  can be a real challenge.
• You will need to have a clear storyline, and
  selectively use words and/or images to give
  weight to your story.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage