Dr. Preeti Tiwari

1. • Data Analysis in Qualitative Research
Dr. Preeti Tiwari

2. Qualitative Research
• A form of social inquiry that focuses on the way
people interpret and make sense of their experiences
and the world in which they live.

3. • Qualitative research is a type of scientific research.
 Seeks answers to a question
 Collects evidence
 Produces findings that were not determined in
advance

4. • Qualitative research involves the use of qualitative
data such as :-
 Interviews
 Participant observation data
• To understand and explain social phenomena

5. Qualitative/Quantitative Differences

6. Qualitative
• The aim is a detailed
description.
• Researcher may only
know roughly in
advance what he/she is
looking for.
• The design emerges as
the study unfolds.
• Researcher is the data
gathering instrument.
Quantitative
• The aim is to classify features, count
them, and construct statistical models
in an attempt to explain what is
observed.
• Researcher knows clearly in advance
what he/she is looking for.
• All aspects of the study are carefully
designed before data is collected.
• Researcher questionnaires or
equipment to collect numerical data.

7. • Data is in the form of words,
pictures or objects.
• Subjective - individuals’
interpretation of events is
important
• Qualitative data is more
'rich', time consuming, and
not generalizable.
• Researcher tends to become
subjectively immersed in the
subject matter.
• Data is numerical in nature.
• Objective – seeks
measurement & analysis of
target concepts.
• Quantitative data is more
efficient, able to test
hypotheses.
• Researcher tends to remain
separated from the subject
matter.

8. Main Types of Qualitative Research
• Case Study
 Attempts to shed light on a case by studying in depth
a single case
 The case can be an individual person, an event, a
group, or an institution.

9. • Grounded Theory
 When new aspect has to be discovered
 Based on new area where theories are non existing or
rare

10. • Phenomenology
• Study of perception of individuals about
1. Taken for granted assumptions
2. Usual ways of perceiving
3. Conventional wisdom
4. Gaining insights into peoples motivations and
actions

11. • Ethnography
• Scientific description of peoples and cultures with
their customs, habits and mutual differences.
• Social interaction, behaviors and perceptions.
• Aim is to “Get Inside” the way each group of people
sees the world.

12. Method Focus
Ethnography
Context or culture
Case Study
Organization, entity,
individual, or event
Phenomenological
Perception of individuals
Grounded Theory
Develop a theory from
grounded in field data

13. There are three main methods of data
collection
• Interactive interviewing
 People asked to verbally described their experiences
of phenomenon.
• Written descriptions by participants
 People asked to write descriptions of their
experiences of phenomenon.

14. • Observation
 Descriptive observations of verbal and non-verbal
behavior.

15. Qualitative research methods
• Focus groups
 Effective in eliciting data on the cultural norms of a group
 Generating broad overviews of issues of concern to the
cultural groups or subgroups represented.

16. • A focus group is a small group of six to ten people led
through an open discussion by a skilled moderator.
• The ideal amount of - 45 to 90 minutes..

17. • Focus groups are structured around a set of carefully
predetermined questions.
• It takes more than one focus group on any one topic to produce
valid results
• when no new information - you’ve reached a point of
saturation.

18. There are three types of focus group
questions:
• 1. Engagement questions: introduce participants to and make
them comfortable with the topic of discussion
• 2. Exploration questions: get to the meat of the discussion
• 3. Exit question: check to see if anything was missed in the
discussion

19. • ƒRun a tape recorder during the session ƒ
• Take notes in case the recorder fails or the tape is inaudible ƒ
Note/record body language or other subtle but relevant clues ƒ
• Allow the moderator to do all the talking during the group

20. • In-depth interviews –
 Optimal for collecting data on individuals’ personal
histories, perspectives, and experiences.
 Particularly - exploring sensitive topics

21. • Participant observation
 Appropriate for collecting data on naturally occurring
behaviors in their usual contexts.
 Analysis begins when the data is first collected and is
used to guide decisions related to further data collection.

22. Qualitative Coding & Analysis
• Open coding (OAS)
 First level of coding
 Distinct concepts and categories in the data
 Which will form the basic units of analysis.
 In other words, breaking down the data into first
level concepts, or master headings, and second-level
categories, or subheadings.

23. Axial coding
• Use own concepts and categories while re-reading the
text to
 Confirm that your concepts and categories accurately
represent interview responses
 Explore how your concepts and categories are related.
 What are the associated effects or consequences?

24. Selective coding
• The central category around which final analysis will
be based
 Explicating the story line: analytic description of the
core category
 Relating other categories to the core
 Validating the story line

25. Qualitative Research:
DeductiveApproach
Begins with hypothesis
Begins with an expected pattern
Deducting conclusions from premises or
propositions.
Conclusions

26. Qualitative Research:
Inductive Approach
Conclusions
No hypotheses can be found at the
initial stages of the research
researcher uses observations
to build an abstraction

27. Qualitative Research Analysis
• Preparing and organizing the data
 Organize the data
 Store originals and copies separately
 Check for any missing data and trace it
• Becoming comfortable with your data

28. • Memos:
 This is the first set of interpretation.
 This includes researcher’s notes.
• Coding:
 ‘De-construction’ of data in qualitative research.
 Coding is the process of breaking down data to
smaller units, understanding these units and putting
them back together in new ways

29. • Themes:
 This is at the later stage of research
 This is ‘construction’ in qualitative research.

30. Triangulation
• Method to enhance the validity & reliability of
qualitative research
• Enhances accuracy of interpretation
• Confirms that the data collected is not due to
chance or circumstances

31. Qualitative Research Design:
Triangulation
• Collect data from multiple
sources
• Collect data in multiple
ways from subjects
• Collect different kinds of
data in multiple ways from
multiple subjects
For example:
• May interview teachers,
principals & parents
• May interview & observe
students
• May review student records,
interview teachers, observe
students

32. Multiple data
sources
Multiple
kinds of data
Multiple data
collection strategies
Subjects
(data sources)
Data collection
strategies
Kinds of
data
Qualitative Research Design:
Triangulation

33. Strengths
• Aims to understand meaning
• Interpretation in particular settings, situations and
conditions
• Rigorous and systematic data collection and analysis
often concurrently
• Data rich in descriptions
• Concepts derived from the data itself

34. Challenges
• Small scale
• Non-representative samples
• Bias
• Access to samples
• Time consuming
• Record keeping
• Data reduction

35. Challenges
• Relationships between the researcher and the
researched
• Subjectivity
• Reliability
• Verification
• Difficulty in studying large populations

36. Software for qualitative research

37. Weft QDA
• Weft QDA is a software tool for the analysis of textual
data such as interview transcripts, documents and field
notes.
• It's available free under a public domain license.
• version 0.9.4

38. How to use it