Chapter 15- Understanding the analysis of qualitative data

Analysis is challenging

• no Universal rules

•  enormous amount of work

•  reducing data for reporting measures

coding scheme 

• Allows researcher to access parts of data without having to reread the data set entirely

  •  descriptive: uses nouns as codes

    •  does not provide much insight into meaning

coding scheme Process

uses garunds as codes to connotection and observable activity

coding scheme Concept

uses a word or a phrase to represent symbolically abroad meaning Beyond observable facts or behaviors

• Nouns or gerunds

coding scheme in Vivo

participant generated words and phrases

coding scheme Holistic

• grasps broad ideas in large chunks of data rather than coding smaller segments

coding scheme Methods

•  conceptual files: physical file for each category and then cutting out and inserting all the materials relating to that code into the file

•  computer assisted qualitative data analysis software

Analytic procedures

•  management is reductionist in nature:  converting masses of data into smaller and more manageable segments

•  analysis is constructionist:  putting segments together into meaningful conceptual patterns

•  identification of broad categories (clusters of codes that are connected conceptually) →  identification of themes ( abstract entity that brings meaning and identity to current experience and its variant manifestation) → weave thematic pieces into an integrated whole 

Content analysis

Analyzing the content of narrative data to identify prominent themes and patterns among the theme

•  break down into smaller units called meaning units

•  distinction between what the text actually says and the interpretation of the meaning

thematic analysis

Ethnographic analysis

• continually looking for patterns in the behavior and thoughts of participants 

• Domains

• Taxonomy

• Four levels 

  • Domain analysis

  •  taxonomic analysis

  •  componential analysis

  •  theme analysis

Domains

broad categories that represent units of cultural knowledge

Taxonomy

a system of classifying and organizing themes, developed to illustrate the internal organization of the domain 

phenomenological analysis

• Description of the essential nature of an experience 

Grounded Theory analysis

•  constant comparison

• Substantive codes

  •  theoretical codes

constant comparison

the method that involves comparing elements present in one data source with those in another 

Substantive codes

• Open

•  theoretical codes

Open codes

first stage of constant comparison, captures what's going on in the data

•  and when core category is discovered and then selective coding begins

core category

pattern of behavior that is relevant and/or problematic for a study participant

selective Coding

researchers code only those data that are related to the core category

theoretical codes

provide insights into how substantive codes relate to each other

critical analysis

• Did researchers adequately document the analytic process and explain their approach?

• Did researchers document that they used one approach consistently? and where they faithful to the Integrity of its procedures?