Qualitative Data Analysis

With QSR NVivo

Graham R Gibbs

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QSR NVivo

Developed by Lyn and Tom Richards in Australia.

Started as NUD.IST in 1980s. Now NVivo v. 10.

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NVivo at Huddersfield

The University now has a site licence for NVivo.

NVivo now on all HHS PC lab computers, classroom computers and staff office computers.

NVivo available for staff to install on their own computer at home. Go to the IT help desk in the Library, you will be able to borrow the install disk.

on the University UniDesktop. NVivo generally works well but video playback is far too slow to be useable. Other media, such as audio, pdf and Word docs are OK

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Getting help

QSR website Tutorials (also on YouTube) Help system (also from the program) Discussion lists (answered by QSR staff)

CAQDAS Networking project, U. Surrey For advanced uses

Online QDA For info on basic qualitative data analysis

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Types of Qualitative analysis

Ethnography

Analytic Induction

Content analysis.

Thematic analysis

Grounded Theory

Phenomenology

Narrative and biography

Conversation analysis

Discourse analysis

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Induction vs. Deduction

Induction - theories and explanations derived from the data. Data led

Deduction - theories and explanations derived from theories and then tested against the data. Theory led.

Most qualitative analysis approaches are inductive (e.g. Grounded Theory, Analytic induction).

But we can also test theories against our data.

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Preparation

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Transcription

Kvale warns us to “beware of transcripts”.

Dangers = superficial coding decontextualization missing what came before and after the respondent’s

account missing what the larger conversation was about

Transcription is a change of medium

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Format of transcript

Names. Use capitals for speakers MARY C MARY I: or “IV:” or “INT In NVivo, keep name of speaker in separate paragraph.

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Anonymisation

Names and contextual names (places etc)

Keep original with real names, but keep secure.

Publish only anonymised versions

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Prepare text

Check for accuracy.

Use […] for missing text

Use [bribery?] for words you are not sure about.

Print with wide margins (for next stage, coding)

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Levels of transcription

People don’t speak in sentences Repeat themselves Hesitate, stutter Use contractions (don’t, coz, etc) Use filler words (like, y’know, er, I mean)

Options Just the gist Verbatim Verbatim with dialect Discourse level.

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Just the gist

“90% of my communication is with … the Sales Director. 1% of his communication is with me. I try to be one step ahead, I get things ready, … because he jumps from one … project to another. …This morning we did Essex, this afternoon we did BT, and we haven't even finished Essex yet.”(… indicates omitted speech)

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Verbatim

“I don’t really know. I’ve a feeling that they’re allowed to let their emotions show better. I think bereavement is part of their religion and culture. They tend to be more religious anyway. I’m not from a religious family, so I don’t know that side of it.”

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Verbatim with dialect

“‘s just that – one o’ staff – they wind everybody up, I mean, – cos I asked for some money – out o’ the safe, cos they only keep money in the safe – ’s our money – so I asked for some money and they wouldn’t give it me – an’ I snatched this tenner what was mine.”

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Conversation analysis

Bashir: Did you ever (.) personally assist him with the writing of his book. (0.8)

Princess: A lot of people.hhh ((clears throat)) saw the distress that my life was in. (.) And they felt it was a supportive thing to help (0.2) in the way that they did.

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Sources in NVivo

Can add:

Word documents (doc, docx) and editable

RTF files (.rtf) and editable

PDF files (.pdf)

Audio files (.mp3, .wav)

Movie files (.wmv, .mp4)

Web pages (as pdf via NCapture in IE or Chrome)

Survey data (spreadsheet format)

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Variable data

Called attributes in NVivo

Attached to cases (normally = people)

E.g. occupation, gender, age, birth town

i.e. categorical data or measurements

Sort out cases

Put data into a spreadsheet (first column = case names, first row = attribute names, cells =values)

Import as a Classification Sheet.

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Analysis

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Thematic Coding

Grounded Theory (Glaser and Strauss + Corbin + Charmaz)

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Jonathon Smith)

Template analysis (Nigel King)

Framework analysis (Ritchie and Lewis)

All are types of thematic analysis.

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Bryman suggests these stages

Stage 1

Read the text as a whole, Make notes at the end

Look for what it is about

Major themes

Unusual issues, events etc

Group cases into types or categories (may reflect research question – e.g. male and female)

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Stage 2. Read again

Mark the text (underline, circle, highlight)

Marginal notes/ annotations

Labels for codes

Highlight Key words

Note Analytic ideas suggested.

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Stage 3. Code the text

Systematically mark the text

Indicate what chunks of text are about – themes – Index them.

Review the codes.

Eliminate repetition and similar codes (combine)

Think of groupings

May have lots of different codes (Don’t worry at early stage – can be reduced later)

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Stage 4. Relate general theoretical ideas to the text.

Coding is only part of analysis

You must add your interpretation.

Identify significance for respondents

Interconnections between codes

Relation of codes to research question and research literature.

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Coding in NVivo

Codes are known as Nodes

Coding to nodes by:

Select text, then Drag and drop Fast coding bar (with menu of nodes) Menu and dialog box (can code at multiple nodes)

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How is coding done?

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Text

In a village like this ... the young fellows in the village don't seem to have much difficulty when they're out of work – a fortnight and they're back again – word of mouth, I'd say. It’s a different, tricky situation that I'm in – I just can't say, “Oh, I heard there's a job going on building site, I’ll go and have a go for it.” I wouldn't be able to do that.

Code

Age contrast

Constrained

Contrast situation

Word of mouth

Young find work easily

Residence focus

Applying the codes to the data

Need to take code and its definition and apply in standard way to the text.

Identify chunks of text to which code applies

Can be phrases, sentences, several sentences or even paragraphs

Coded passages may overlap

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Questions to ask

"What is going on?

What are people doing?

What is the person saying?

What do these actions and statements take for granted?

How do structure and context serve to support, maintain, impede or change these actions and statements?"

(Charmaz 2003: 94-95)

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Coding supports 2 forms of analysis

Retrieval

Using the coding frame

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1. Retrieval

Retrieve all the text coded with the same label = all passages about the same phenomenon, idea, explanation or activity - Literally cut and paste

Used envelopes/files - Now done using software – retrieval very fast.

Enables cross case comparison on same theme.

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2. Using the coding frame

Use the list of codes to examine further kinds of analytic questions, e.g. relationships between the codes (and the text

they code) grouping cases

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Data driven or concept driven?

Inductive or deductive Most qualitative analysis does both i.e. start with some theoretical ideas these derived from literature, research

brief/questions, interview schedule and discover new ideas, theories,

explanations in the data.

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Code list, scheme, frame, template

List of codes with definitions

Separate from the documents

May be hierarchical

Used:

To apply the code in a consistent way.

To share codes with others, especially in a team

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Code DefinitionsTypically records:

1. The label or name of the code.

2. The name of the researcher. (Not needed if you are working alone.)

3. Date when coding was done or changed.

4. Definition of the code. Analytic idea it refers to.

5. Other notes about the code, e.g. 1. ideas about how it relates to other codes2. a hunch that the text could be split between two different codes.

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Coding hierarchy

Codes can be arranged in a hierarchy

e.g. with these codes from a study of friendship Close, generalised friendships Sporting friendships Sports club members Work friends Making new friends - same sex Making new friends - different sex Losing touch with friends Becoming sexual relationships

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Example code hierarchy Friendship types

Close, generalized Sporting

Club Non-club

Work

Changes in Friendship Making new friends

New same sex friends New different sex friends

Losing touch Becoming sexual relationships

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Memos

Theorizing and commenting about codes as you go along

Notes to yourself

“… the theorizing write-up of ideas about codes and their relationships as they strike the analyst while coding… it can be a sentence, a paragraph or a few pages… it exhausts the analyst’s momentary ideation based on data with perhaps a little conceptual elaboration.”

Glaser, B.G. (1978) Theoretical Sensitivity: Advances in the methodology of grounded theory. Mill Valley CA: Sociology Press.

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An Example Memo

Word of mouth was mentioned by Harry as important for him in searching for work. Several other respondents talked about this as a method they have used. Two thoughts occur to me.

To what extent is this a separate method of looking for work, tapping into a network outside the formal one of job centres, agencies etc. or does it overlap? E.g. is some of the word of mouth information about the formal job finding agencies?

Does it refer to a specific kind of network - mates and relatives finding work for those looking for it, or is it simply a passing on of information that could have been found by those looking in newspapers ads etc?

Above all it raises issues about networking as a way of finding work. Is this an important method? Is it effective? Is it more important in certain areas of work than others? (e.g. in manual work.) Do those with wider social networks have more success in finding work this way?

Graham Gibbs Friday, April 28, 2000

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Descriptive vs Analytic/theoretical

Descriptive Just what the people said What happened Their terms

Analytic Use social science theory Groups codes together Use terms the respondents don’t or wouldn’t

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Example of coding

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‘Loss of physical co-ordination’, ‘Togetherness’, ‘Doing for’, ‘Resignation’, ‘Core activity’

‘Dancing’, ‘Indoor bowling’, ‘Dances at works club’, ‘Drive together’

Descriptive codes

‘Joint activities ceased’, ‘Joint activities continuing’ Categories

Analytic codes

Example showing coding marks

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Line-by-line coding

Force analytic thinking whilst keeping you close to the data

Pay close attention to what the respondent is actually saying

Construct codes that reflect respondent's experience of the world

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Example of line-by-line coding

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Grounded Theory

“…a qualitative research method that uses a systematic set of procedures to develop an inductively derived grounded theory about a phenomenon.”

Strauss, A.L. and Corbin, J. (1990) Basics of Qualitative Research, Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. London: Sage. p 24

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Stages of Coding

Open Coding,

Axial Coding,

Selective Coding

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1. Open Coding

the text is read reflectively to identify relevant categories or themes,

Open, because we have not decided already what we are going to find - keep an open mind.

In vivo

e.g “word of mouth”, “Level 7”

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Constant comparison Newly gathered data are continually compared

with previously collected data and its coding

Compare analytic ideas with other circumstances

Used to Refine the development of theoretical categories Test emerging ideas

Think about what is different, what is the same, what metaphors, ideas, theories, might explain the patterns.

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Constant comparison

Example- “Back of house” used in describing working in the hotel trade.

Theatre Metaphor Performance, roles, scripts, learning lines

Out of sight Untidy, unclean, grimy backstage

People pay for performance as well as food

Curtain divides public from private. Use of space, division of space by doors, notices, décor,

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Constant comparison, cont.

Stars get well paid, stage hands poorly paid. Star chefs, poorly paid waiters. - casual labour

Where the backstage is not hidden. MacDonalds - signs, lack of mystery, predictability, cleanliness.

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2. Axial Coding

categories are refined, developed and related or interconnected

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Causal conditions

Phenomenon

Strategies

Context

Intervening conditions

Action/ Interaction

Consequences

3. Selective coding

Central phenomenon

the “core category”, or central theme

It ties all other categories/themes/codes in the theory together into a story

It is identified and related to other themes.

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Example showing analysis

One of a set of interviews by Wendy Hollway and Tony Jefferson.

On fear of crime

Will use some of this for a group work exercise.

Part of interview with:

Barbara 65, F, White,Retired nursing auxiliary,Interview covered, Husband's death, ill health,

sister - prison, stealing & drug taking, tenants association. From low crime area.

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INT So you say - well 2 of those things happened after - when you've been talking to this accountant friend of yours. How did it come up? I mean that's er, you'd been alone for quite a while ....

BARBARA They'd been burgled.

INT Right.

BARBARA And they got through a little window like this. Actually 'e'd got a young lad with 'im. And er, Margaret's engagement ring and she says "that was the one thing - that was the one thing, it grieved me more than anything" she said. "They could 'ave the television, the lot" she said. But the fact that they took 'er engagement ring…

INT Yeah.

BARBARA That upset 'er. And er, we were just talking in general and - and it came up and I says er, "I've got a chain on my door." And 'e says er, "it's not strong enough that, Barbara." He says "you really want something else on" and 'e went - his daughter lived up Stokebridge and 'e went to a little shop up there, or something. And got me that chain…

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BARBARA …And 'e put it on and you can lock it. If you put it on as you're going out, er, its 'ook, and then you 'ave to unlock it to let it drop.

INT Ah ha.

BARBARA When you come in.

INT Oh right.

BARBARA You know, you can push the door and it - oh and it is strong as well.

INT Ah ha. And the 4 locks on the back? Do they date back further?

BARBARA Oh God, yeah.

INT So you had lots of security even when your husband was alive?

BARBARA Oh yeah, mmm. Mmm. Em, I've got one of those dead locks at the top.

INT Yeah.

BARBARA You know, they're just a hole in the door and they're not from outside, they're only from inside. And even that locks wrong way. You 'ave to turn it that way to unlock it. (laugh).

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Notice…

Interviewer and respondent names are in capitals

Wide margins and space and a half between lines

Use of contractions

Place names and people’s names anonymised

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Read through

About neighbour being burgled

Lost TV etc. and engagement ring

Old and new security on front door.

Replaced by friend.

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Mark up text

Annotations and codes.

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Coding Frame

Crime experienced (the type of crime participants discuss having experienced themselves or by their friends and neighbours). Burglary Vandalism Violence

But these descriptive. Be analytic. E.g. Low level (not reported etc.) Significant (with emotional impact)

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Coding Frame, cont.

Security measures (What measures people have taken to protect themselves, their property etc. both in the past and more recently). Chain Dead lock Burglar alarm Safe Car alarms Personal Alarm Stay in Walk with others

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Coding Frame, cont.

But these descriptive. Be analytic. E.g. Physical, technology Behavioural

Psychological (lights on timer etc.)

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Coding Frame, cont.

Feelings about experience of crime Frightened Hurt by loss (especially personal items)

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NVivo video

http://youtu.be/oelXFnJ-7Ms

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