Qualitative Data Analysis

What this unit covers

The resources follow the usual path of a qualitative project. They begin with preparing data, move to coding and categorising, and finish with themes, interpretation and presenting findings. Most of the page is mind maps, with a handful of quizzes and flashcard decks beside them.

Where to start

Begin with the quiz Companion MCQ's: Analysing data. It asks about transcribing interview and focus group data, how long a good enough transcript of an hour-long interview takes, transcription errors and orthographic transcripts. The quiz called Data analysis then checks the types of textual and audio data and which need transcription.

Next, try the flashcard deck Qualitative Analysis & Design. It asks you to define epistemology, list the three types of qualitative epistemology, and describe realist, phenomenological and social constructionist knowledge.

Mind maps for coding and themes

• Coding and Qualitative coding: open coding, where you break data into distinct concepts and categories.
• The three C's: several maps on coding, categorising and concepts.
• Thematic Analysis: one map lists what to avoid, such as using the interview schedule as your themes or leaving themes that overlap.
• Analysing Data (Qualitative): inductive and deductive approaches.
• CONTENT ANALYSis and Textual Analysis for other ways in.

There are also maps on Atlas ti, Finding Themes, Displaying Qualitative Data and Five ways of organizing and presenting data analysis.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then take a quiz on the same topic and note what you missed. Go back to the map for those points. The quiz called discursive approaches is a good follow-up after the maps on social constructionism and discourse. The flowchart Results of data analysis shows how emerging codes can be grouped in a worked example.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the Data Collection and Analysis strand of Research methods and academic skills. Pick a map that matches your current task, and make your own flashcards from it.