educ 894 week 8. plan for today conference debrief what’s hot in analysis methods: engaging...
TRANSCRIPT
EDUC 894
Week 8
Plan for Today Conference Debrief
What’s Hot in Analysis Methods: Engaging Complexity Group-work & Team Consultations
Midterm Course Feedback Sheets--------------------Dinner Break-------------------
Group-work & Team Consultations cont. Qualitative Data Analysis (7 pm)
Overview of ApproachesClass Activity: Analyzing Data
Moving ForwardDeliverable 3 Handout & Due Date DiscussionReading: Auerbach only (online book, pick up handout)
Qualitative Data Can Be: Interviews Observation notes Images
created by researchers or subjects
Videos Student work
But one thing is always true:
Qualitative is voluminous (that’s a nice way of saying that it is easy to get overwhelmed)
The Overriding Goal(s)
Make inferences from the data to address your research questions
Connect the empirical (specific data) with the theoretical (research inquiry)
Most importantly it is a process of making meaning of the dataThis often involves looking for patternsThis can occur simultaneously or in iteration
with data collectionAnd what does the data mean to whom…?
Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Approaches: 2 Schools
Back to the miner and the traveler
What are they looking for & how will they go about it?
Think about how their interview styles have set them up for the data analysis stage…
QDA: The Miner Approach
“Testing Theory” (Glaser)Does the data support our
hypotheses?Does the data fit a pre-
established framework?
Closed Coding / RatingInterpretiveAutomatic
Image Source: http://www.synthstuff.com/mt/archives/bertrand-miner.jpg
QDA: The Miner Approach II
Qualities of a Good AnalysisObjective & Reliable
○ Multiple raters Inter-rater ReliabilityNumber of decision pointsTolerance & Reconciliation
○ Multiple measures Rubrics and consistency
Valid○ How do the indicators used
serve as evidence of the ideas you are looking for?
Examines all data in the sample
Image Source: http://www.synthstuff.com/mt/archives/bertrand-miner.jpg
QDA: The Miner Approach III
Is this still really “qualitative” data analysis?
Image Source: http://www.synthstuff.com/mt/archives/bertrand-miner.jpg
QDA:The Traveler Approach
“Generating Theory” (Glaser) What is the data trying to tell us? What are important themes related
to the topic / phenomenon / RQs? What structure emerges from the
data?
Coding processes Range in structure and imposition of
meaning Creswell presents a generic
procedure
Image Source: http://www.hmoon.com/garments/cloaks/traveler1-detail.jpg
QDA:The Traveler Approach II
Coding process decisionsBy question or overall
○ This highly relates to the kind of interview you conducted
Target categories or completely open
Number of coders; how and when to interact
“Constant Comparison”Item to itemItem to CategoryCategory to Category
Image Source: http://www.hmoon.com/garments/cloaks/traveler1-detail.jpg
QDA:The Traveler Approach III
So when are you done?Unlike the Miner – you aren't’
focused on “leaving no stone unturned,” but you will likely go over all the data several times.
You will constantly be revising, combining and rethinking your codes - when no new themes are emerging, you may be nearing “theoretical saturation”
Or you may need to go collect more data….
Image Source: http://www.hmoon.com/garments/cloaks/traveler1-detail.jpg
Theorectical SaturationData Collection Data Analysis
Close to SaturatedCategories
ThirdInterview
SecondInterview
FirstInterview
More RefinedCategories
RefinedCategories
PreliminaryCategories
TowardSaturation ofCategories
QDA: The Traveler Approach IV
Qualities of a Good AnalysisConfirmability (Results are
Investigator-free)○ Triangulation○ Search for Negative Evidence
Dependability (Results are Stable)○ Overlapping Methods○ Cycles of Analysis and Data
CollectionCredibility (Results are Plausible)
○ Detailed analysis process○ Coherence of results○ Discussion of alternative explanations○ Member Checks
Image Source: http://www.hmoon.com/garments/cloaks/traveler1-detail.jpg
QDA: Some Final Thoughts There is great variation in how QDA is done Your approach should be specific to your study
(your RQ, your data and how it was collected)Since each instance is unique, it is very important to
document your process The two approaches described here (generating
theory and testing theory) can be combined (Glaser’s top left quadrant)
You’ll read about another way of doing this in Auerbach
Next week we’ll look at one technology to help manage masses of qualitative data (Atlas-ti) Class next week will be in Room 3100
Analyzing Data ActivityConstructionist RQ: How do
graduate students think about vacations?
Data source = X letters written by grad students about their vacations.
Objectivist RQ: Are X,Y & Z
important issues about vacations for graduate students?
Working in pairs, pick a stance and RQ and think about how you will analyze the data. In particular make sure to consider how the two of you will coordinate your efforts and how you will be able to justify either the validity & reliability (objectivist) or trustworthiness (constructionist) of your analysis.