Chapter017

Copyright © 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Chapter 17

Analysis of Qualitative Data


Qualitative Analysis Challenges

• No universal rules; no one set way to do an analysis correctly

• Voluminous amount of narrative data = lots of intensive work

• Need for strong inductive powers and creativity

• Condensing rich data to fit into concise reports


Qualitative Analysis Styles

• Template analysis style (e.g., ethnographic analysis)

• Editing analysis style (e.g., grounded theory analysis, phenomenological analysis)

• Immersion/crystallization style (e.g., some hermeneutic, critical studies)


Tasks in Qualitative Data Management and Organization

• Transcribing the data

• Developing a category scheme

• Coding the data

• Organizing the data

– Manual methods of organization (conceptual files)

– Computerized methods of organization using CAQDAS


General Analytic Overview—Some Analytic Steps

• Identify themes or regularities.

• Search for patterns among themes, variations in the data.

• Develop charting devices, timelines.

• Validate themes, patterns.

• In some cases, calculate quasi-statistics.

• Integrate thematic pieces.


Question

Is the following statement True or False?

• Editing analysis style would be appropriate to use for analyzing ethnographic studies.


Answer

• False

– Editing analysis would be appropriate for grounded theory analysis and phenomenological analysis.


Ethnographic Analysis: Spradley’s 12-Step Method

1. Locating an informant

2. Interviewing an informant

3. Making an ethnographic record

4. Asking descriptive questions

5. Analyzing ethnographic interviews

6. Making a domain analysis (1st level of analysis)


Ethnographic Analysis: Spradley’s 12-Step Method (Cont.) 7. Asking structural questions

8. Making a taxonomic analysis (2nd level)

9. Asking contrast questions

10. Making a componential analysis (3rd level)

11. Discovering cultural themes, theme analysis (4th level)

12. Writing the ethnography


Phenomenological Analysis• Three broad schools of phenomenology:

– Duquesne school (descriptive phenomenology)

• Colaizzi

• Giorgi

• Van Kaam

– Utrecht school (descriptive and interpretive phenomenology)

• Van Manen


Phenomenological Analysis (cont.)

• Three broad schools of phenomenology (cont.):

– Heideggerian hermeneutics (interpretive)

• Gadamer

• Diekelmann, Allen, and Tanner

• Benner


Colaizzi’s Method• Read all protocols; get a feeling for them.

• Extract significant statements.

• Spell out meaning of each significant statement.

• Organize formulated meanings into clusters of themes.

• Integrate results into exhaustive description of phenomenon.

• Formulate exhaustive description of phenomenon into unequivocal statement of identification.

• Validate by asking participants about findings.


Van Manen’s Phenomenological Method:

• Effort to grasp essential meaning of the experience

• Three methods of extracting meaning:

– Holistic approach

– Selective approach

– Detailed approach


Question


• There are five broad schools of phenomenological analysis.


Answer

• False

– There are three broad schools of phenomenological analysis.


The 7-Stage Team Approach to Hermeneutic Analysis: Diekelmann et al.

• Reading all interviews

• Preparing interpretive summaries for each one

• Team analysis of selected interviews

• Resolving interpretive disagreements

• Identifying recurring themes that reflect common meanings

• Identifying emergent relationships among themes (constitutive patterns)

• Reviewing thematic analysis by the whole team


Benner’s hermeneutic analysis

• Search for paradigm cases

• Thematic analysis

• Analysis of exemplars


Grounded Theory Analysis

• Uses constant comparative method of analysis

• Two competing grounded theory strategies:

– Glaser and Strauss (Glaserian)

– Strauss and Corbin (Straussian)



Coding: Glaserian Approach• Substantive codes

– Open codes—ends when core category is identified

– One type of core category is a basic social process (BSP)

• Level I (in vivo) codes; Level II codes; Level III codes

– Selective codes—codes relating to core category only

• Theoretical codes


Question


• Grounded theory analysis involves the use of a constant comparative method.


Answer

• True

– Grounded theory analysis uses a constant comparative method analysis, a method that involves comparing elements present in one data source with those in another.


Examples of Families of Theoretical Codes (Glaser)

• Process: Stages, phases, passages, transitions

• Strategy: Tactics, techniques, maneuverings

• Cutting point: Boundaries, turning points

• The six Cs: Causes, contexts, conditions, contingencies, consequences, and covariances


Strauss and Corbin’s Method of Grounded Theory

• Three Types of Coding

– Open coding

– Axial coding

– Selective coding—deciding on the central (or core) category


End of Presentation

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Chapter017