Analyzing

Qualitative Data
Varieties of Data
Varieties of Analysis

 The different methods will produce

different types of data. Some can
be quantified, some cannot.
 Analysis will depend on approach,
method, data and objectives.
Steps in Analyzing
Focus Group Data

 Identify the Big Ideas

 Unitizing the Data
 Categorizing the Units
 Negotiating Categories
 Identifying Themes and Use of
Theory
Big Idea Identification
 Consider words and ideas that
occupied the focus group
 The intensity of communication
 Nonverbal communication
 Provide an initial framework
 Requires one distinguish strong
significant themes from the less
significant ones.
 Subjective judgment is involved
Unitizing the Data
 The process of identifying units of
information that will become basis
for defining categories
 What to consider when identifying
units?
Considerations
 Should be  Size of unit can
heuristic or aimed vary from phrase
at assisting the to sentence or
researcher to paragraph
understand  Whenever
 Should be the possible, should
smallest amount include a direct
of information that quote from a
is informative by participant in focus
itself group
Categorizing the Units
 Units, identified in #2, are stored
into relevant piles that will
eventually represent categories or
themes.
 Bring together information units
that are related to the same content
 Rules that describe category
properties are defined to justify
inclusion
Concepts and Coding
 Code data into predetermined categories
 Develop categories based on the data and
then code the data
 Use the data as a basis for summary
statements that capture the main ideas
 Use quotes from participants to support
the categories, main ideas and summary
statements.
Analyzing Phenomenological
Raw Data

 Horizonalization
 Statements divided by concept
 Clusters of Meanings
 Concepts are grouped
 Textural description
 Tied together in general terms
 Structural Description
 Contextualized
Example
 Refer to “Older American
Consumers and Their Money: An
Exploratory Study”
 Tables 1 - 4
Narratives and Stories
 First-person accounts of experience
 Formal Narrative Analysis
 Propp: (1968)
 1) roles of character, 2) functions/events,
3) sequence of functions, 4) type with
regard to structure.
Labov’s Evaluation Model
for Stories & Narratives
 Structure  Question
 Abstract  What was this about?

 Orientation  Who, What, When,

where?
 Complication  Then what
happened?
 So what?
 Evaluation

 Result
 What finally
happened?
 Coda  [Finish narrative]
Less Systematic Approaches
 Context dependent infrastructure
 Within particular interactions
 Within specific social, cultural and
institutional discourses.
 Designed to illustrate functional
qualities
 To express cultural values
 Moral functions

 To teach of dangers

 Of self and cultural identity, etc.

Meanings and Metaphors
 In addition to “what” was said,
“how” it was said.
 Looking at form as well as content.
 Metaphor is a device of
representation through which new
meaning may be learned.
 Reduces two terms to shared
characteristics
Metaphors
 Can explore the:
 Intent (or function)
 The cultural context of the metaphor
 Semantic mode of the metaphor
Writing and Representation
 Units of Narrative
 Individual social actor
 Individuals and their interactions
Samples
 “Older American Consumers and
Their Money; an Exploratory Study
 “Social Time Insight into American
Higher Education.”
Levels of Generality
 Level 1 – Universal statements
 Level 2 – Cross-cultural descriptive
statements:
 Level 3 – General statements about a
society or culture
 Level 4 – General statements about a
specific cultural scene
 Level 5 – Specific statement
 Level 6 – Specific incident statements
Visual Representation
 Ways in which data and analyses
can be displayed
 Matrices, graphs, charts, and networks
 One can incorporate visual material
themselves
 Photographs or reproduction of
artifacts.
Beyond the Data
 Theorizing & Generalizing
 Integral to analysis
 Qualitative research does not negate
generalizing.
 Engage in creative intellectual work
 Speculate about the data
 Link ideas to those of others
 Move from one’s own research to more
general, even abstract, level of
analytical thought.
Interpretation
 The emphasis of analysis and
writing lies in the interpretation
Bringing Full Circle
 Good qualitative research
 Will should focus on answering the
research question.
 Findings may lead to future research.
 Qualitative
 Quantitative