Laarni Duran

Qualitative Data

This type of data collection is based on data gathered expressed mostly in the form of
words, descriptions, accounts, opinions, feelings, etc. instead of numbers. This is commonly used
when the focus of the study is the people, particularly in social groups or as individuals. Most of
the time, the process or situation being studied is not understood enough initially to determine
precisely what data should be collected. Because of this, repeated bursts of data collection and
analysis gives allowances to what should be further studied, what questions are asked and what
actions should be taken based on what has already been seen, answered and done.

To make the data analysis easier, a list of ten steps you should take when carrying out qualitative
research (1986: 26) was suggested by Bromley. Here are the steps:

 Clearly state the research issues or questions.

 Collect background information to help understand the relevant context, concepts and
theories.
 Suggest several interpretations or answers to the research problems or questions based on
this information.
 Use these to direct your search for evidence that might support or contradict these. Change
the interpretations or answers if necessary.
 Continue looking for relevant evidence. Eliminate interpretations or answers that are
contradicted, leaving, hopefully, one or more that are supported by the evidence
 ‘Cross examine’ the quality and sources of the evidence to ensure accuracy and
consistency.
 Carefully check the logic and validity of the arguments leading to your conclusions.
 Select the strongest case in the event of more than one possible conclusion.
 If appropriate, suggest a plan of action in the light of this.
 Prepare your report as an account of your research.
As observed in the list, a strong link between data collection theory building is evident.
The theoretical ideas is developed solely out of the data collected and the theory is being developed
and refined as data collection proceeds. Without some theoretical standpoint, it is hard to know
where to start and what data to collect. Devising a theory and then testing it through the analysis
of data collected by field research is another alternative for the approach above.
 Unlike the well-established statistical methods of analysing quantitative data, qualitative
data analysis is still in its early stages. The certainties of mathematical formulae and determinable
levels of probability are difficult to apply to the ‘soft’ nature of qualitative data, which is
inextricably bound up with individual human feelings, attitudes and judgements and their interplay
in society.

It has been the aim of many researchers to make qualitative analysis as systematic and as
‘scientific’ as possible but it cannot be denied that there is still an element of ‘art’ in dealing with
qualitative data. In order to convince others of your conclusions, there must be a good argument
to support them. A good argument requires high quality evidence and sound logic.
Qualitative research is practiced in many disciplines, so a range of data collection methods
has been devised to cater for the varied requirements of the different subjects, such as: qualitative
interviewing, focus groups, participant, discourse and conversation analysis and analysis of texts
and documents.

Miles and Huberman (1994: 10–12) suggested that there should be three concurrent
flows of action:

• Data reduction

• Data display
• Conclusion drawing/verification
Information in text is dispersed, bulky and difficult to structure thus making it difficult to
understand when presented as extended text. Our minds cannot process large amounts of
information that is why data reduction through coding, clustering and summarizing provides the
first step to simplification, followed by arranging the compacted data into diagrams and tables
which can display the data in a way that enables you to explore relationships and gauge the relative
significances of different factors are created.

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS DURING DATA COLLECTION

The data reduction and analysis must be in sequence like it should be simple in the
beginning stages of the data collection and elevates into more complex as the project progresses.
To start with, a page summaries can be made of the results if contacts and a standardized set of
headings will prompt the ordering of the information.

To begin with, one-page summaries can be made of the results of contacts, e.g. phone
conversations, visits. A standardized set of headings will prompt the ordering of the information –
contact details, main issues, summary of information acquired, interesting issues raised, and new
questions resulting from these. Similar one-page forms can be used to summarize the contents of
documents.
TYPOLOGIES AND TAXONOMIES
After data accumulation:
1. Organize the shapeless mass of data by building typologies and taxonomies.
2. Classifying by types or properties
3. Forming subgroups on the general category at nominal level
This can help you to:

 Organize amorphous material and to identify patterns in the data.

 Note the differences in terms of behaviour patterns between these categories.
 Generate the kinds of analysis that will form the basis for the development of explanations
and conclusions.
This started the development of coding system.
 Coding
 an important aspect of forming typologies.

 are labels or tags used to allocate units of meaning to the data, going beyond the
simple physical facts
 helps you to organize your piles of data

 provides a first step in conceptualization and helps to prevent ‘data overload’

resulting from mountains of unprocessed data
PATTERN CODING

• a method of pulling together the coded information into more compact and meaningful
groupings

• reduces the data into smaller analytical units such as themes, causes/explanations,
relationships among people and emerging concepts

ANALYSIS DURING AND AFTER DATA COLLECTION

Text-based reports are lengthy to present and hard to analyze. Graphical methods of both data
display and analysis can largely overcome these problems by using two-dimensional layouts to
order data. They are useful for summarizing, describing, exploring, comparing, as well as
explaining and predicting phenomena and can be used equally effectively for one-case and cross-
case analysis. Graphical displays fall into two categories: matrices and networks.