Qualitative Data Analysis

Question 1

What makes data qualitative?

Answer 1

• It’s data that approximates and characterises the data

Question 2

What are examples of types of qualitative data?

Answer 2

• Participant observation data
• Interview transcripts
• Ethnographic field notes
• Interviews (recordings, transcripts and notes)
• Texts and images

Question 3

What are two methods of collecting data in qualitative research?

Answer 3

1. Interviews - spoken interaction between a researcher and a research participant
2. Participant observation - establishing close relationships with members of a group or ‘working’ in the situation being studied.

Question 4

Name 3 qualitative data analysis approaches:

Answer 4

1. Content analysis
2. Discourse analysis
3. Narrative analysis

Question 5

Define and list the steps of ‘content analysis’:

Answer 5

DEF.: focuses on patterns and prominent themes in order to make sense of complex data sets

1. Identify the key themes - look closely at responses provided to each question by participants and create broad themes that represent these meanings
2. Assign codes to key themes - if you want to count the number of times a theme has appeared in an interview, you can assign a code
3. Classify the answers into main themes - go through transcripts of notes and interviews under various themes
4. Integrate themes and responses into the text of the study

Question 6

What is discourse analysis?

Answer 6

Examining linguistic nuances and conventions in human discourse in order to gain perspective into how people use language to create their own social worlds.

Question 7

What is narrative analysis?

Answer 7

Sheds significant light on the thought processes of research participants.

Can also help gain insight into how individuals communicate with each other since the act of constructing a narrative itself is often a social interaction between narrator and listener.