ESDS Qualidata

Qualitative Data Collections

• Data from National Research Council (ESRC) individual research grant awards

• Data from ESRC Programme research grant awards

• Data from ‘classic’ social science studies

• Other funders/sources

• Focus on DIGITAL Collections, but also facilitate paper-based archiving

Types of qualitative data

• Diverse data types: in-depth interviews ; semi-structured interviews; focus groups; oral histories; mixed methods data; open-ended survey questions; case notes/records of meetings; diaries/ research diaries

• Multi-media: audio, video, photos and text (most common is interview transcriptions)

• Formats: digital, paper, analogue audio-visual

• Data structures - differ across different ‘document types

‘Classic’ datasets

• Peter Townsend – Poverty and old age

• Paul Thompson – oral history and Edwardians

• F Bechhofer, J Goldthorpe, D Lockwood and J Platt – Affluent workers

• Stan Cohen– Mods and rockers and long-term imprisonment

Additional collections

• Ray Pahl – Three Hertfordshire Villages

• Barbara Lloyd – Girl’s and Boy’s Body Image Concerns

• Naomi Connelly – Race Equality in Social Services Departments

• Jan Pahl – Coping with Marital Violence

• Annette Lawson - Adultery

Diverse uses for existing data

• Enrich context description• How was it really done

documentation of methods– Team “discussions” about coding– What, exactly, is “semi-structured”?

• Augment data you collect– Historical comparative case– Expand sample size

• Datasets for teaching

Transcribing Research 1

• Integrated into the ongoing research

• Full transcriptions or summaries

• Avoid stockpiling

• Costs and Benefits;– Self Transcription– Internal team transcription– External Transcription

Transcribing Research 2• Budget

– estimated no. of interviews x4 hours x 60 Minute tape x hourly salary

• Examples of good and bad

• Full transcriptions;– Consistent layout– Speaker tags– Line breaks– Header with identifier / other details – Checked for errors

Copyright

• protection of author’s rights• automatically assigned to the speaker• researcher holds the copyright in the

sound recording of an interview• employer holds the copyright in research

data • obtain copyright clearance from

employer• obtain written assignment of copyright

from interviewee• seek legal advice on problem issues

Exploring qualitative data

• Topic: UK food consumption

• ESDS Qualidata | Introduction• http://www.qualidata.essex.ac.uk/

Search for qualitative data

Edwardians Online

Edwardians Online – Phase ICreation of a digital multimedia resource that integrates a wealth of existing primary and secondary materials:

• a catalogue of 444 interview summaries • 5 full electronic interview transcripts • thematic browsing of interview transcripts • a collection of digital sound clips • a set of contextual images of Edwardian life • background information and press reviews on the

original Paul Thompson study • details of publications based upon secondary studies

of the collection • an account of the digitization methodology