SOCY 210 - Qualitative Data Analysis

Qualitative Content Analysis

Systematic way of analyzing textual or visual data by identifying patterns within the content

Thematic Analysis

Both a part of, and distinct from, other qualitative data analysis techniques

Involves six steps; familiarization, coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, writing up
Read through the data, generate initial themes, reviewing themes, definifng and naming themes, writing up 

Useful for when researcher wants to understand patterns without as many details

Narrative Analysis

Strategies for analyzing text that focus on how people use stories to make sense of themselves, their experiences, and the world

Focuses on the stories people tell, examining how those stories are structured, what they emphasize, what those reveal about a person’s experience or identity

Especially valuable when you want to study identity, personal experience, meanings behind events

Discourse Analysis

The analysis of particular patterns of language use that people follow when they enter into particular domains of social life

Focuses on language-in-use, how people use words, phrases, and communication practices to construct social realities, express power dynamics, shape meaning

Goal is to understand how language reflects and reinforces assumptions, ideologies, norms or social structures

Triangulation

Use of multiple methods, sources, and analysts to cross-check your findings

Can strengthen the credibility and robustness of qualitative research by using multiple methods, sources, or analysts to cross-check findings

Lofland’s Ways of Looking for Patterns in Research Topic

Frequencies, magnitudes, structures, processes, causes, consequences

Cross-Case Analysis

The use of either a case-oriented or a variable-oriented approach to compare cases in the search for pattern description and explanation

Strategies for Cross-Case Analysis

Variable-Oriented Analysis, Case-Oriented Analysis

Variable-Oriented Analysis

Examination of a limited set of considerations (variables) across a large number of cases in search of nomothetic explanation

Aim is to achieve a partial, overall explanation using relatively few variables

No pretence exists that the researcher can predict every individual’s behaviour, or even explain their motivations in full

Case-Oriented Analysis

The detailed examination of a limited set of particular cases in search of idiographic explanation; would look more closely into a particular case

Stages of the Constant Comparative Method (CCM)

Comparing incidents applicable to each category

Integrating categories and their properties

Delimiting the theory

Writing theory

CCM - Comparing Incidents Applicable to Each Category

Specifying the nature and dimensions of the many concepts arising from the data

CCM - Integrating Categories and their Properties

Researcher begins to note relationships among concepts

For these relationships to emerge, necessary for the researchers to have noticed all these concepts

CCM - Delimiting the Theory

As the patterns of relationships among concepts become clearer, the researcher can ignore some of the concepts that were initially noted but are evidently irrelevant to the inquiry

In addition to the number of categories being reduced, the theory itself may become simpler

CCM - Writing Theory

Researcher must put their findings into words to be shared with others

Semiotics

The study of signs and the meanings associated with them, analysis involves a search for the meanings intentionally or unintentionally attached to signs

Signs

Any thing that has an assigned special meaning

Conversation Analysis (CA)

The search to understand the basic structures of social interaction and social order through the detailed study of everyday talk

Fundamental Assumptions of Conversation Analysis

Conversation is a social structured activity

Conversations must be understood contextually

Aims to understand the structure and meaning of conversation through excruciatingly accurate transcripts of conversations

Concept

The organizing principle for qualitative coding

Coding

Classifying or categorizing individual pieces of data, coupled with some kind of retrieval system

Open Coding

The original conceptualization of the qualitative evidence into meaningful categories; when the labelling of concepts and categories occurs

Axial Coding

The re-examination of open coding in search of conceptual refinements and connections

Selective Coding

Seeks to identify the central code in the study, the oe that all the other codes relate to

The search for conceptual themes that link the conceptualized evidence into an integrated idea

Memoing

The process of writing memos containing ideas and insights developed during the collection and analysis of qualitative data

Code Notes

Identify the code labels and their meanings

Theoretical Notes

Cover a variety of topics: reflections of the dimensions and deeper meanings of concepts, relationships among concepts, theoretical propositions, etc.

Operational Notes

Deal primarily with methodological issues, some will draw attention to data collection circumstances that may be relevant to understanding the data later on, others will consist of notes directing future data collection

Concept Mapping

The process of putting emerging concepts and their relationships into a graphical format