Qualitative Analysis and Grounded Theory CAS 262 Qualitative Data Analysis  Benefits      Remains true to data collected, voice of the people Treats outliers with respect Focuses on representation of the people rather than the population Good for exploring, explaining new things Good for developing theory(s) Qualitative Data Analysis  Challenges      Amount of raw data can be daunting Multiple plausible interpretations possible Ideas may come only after long time Analysis/interpretation for two audiences: those studied and academics Acquiring skills to do analysis/interpretation Qualitative Data Analysis  Data management    Data reduction    Gain control over data to assist analysis Developing categories to help “find way around data” Determination of which aspects of data to analyze Using categories to determine what focus on Conceptual development   Creation of concepts, themes, even theories Shape what data tells us   Use of theories to interpret Grounded in culture, society of data collection Qualitative Data Analysis  Categorization    Characterize data’s meaning in respect to data’s properties  I.e. process of developing categories Can be determined by existing theory, research  Does existent theory, research indicate types of categories to use? Can be determined by grounded theory coding  Do categories emerge out of the context of the data collection? Qualitative Data Analysis  Category  Cover term for data items that are similar based on specific data properties  As defined by categorization process    Top-down, theory-based: create before codes Bottom-up, grounded: create from codes Need to be internally cohesive, mutually exclusive, exhaustive Qualitative Data Analysis  Code    Links between data and categories Specific data item labeled for specific category If using existing theory, research: done last   Take categories built from “thin ideal” research and code descriptions If using grounded theory: done first   Find the similarities – these are codes Keep working with codes until can build categories Grounded coding during grad school First sit on floor and go through entire data set Look for commonalities – process of categorization that results in codes As find commonalities, develop groups Create groups internally cohesive, mutually exclusive, and exhaustive, Groups become categories Label categories based on theme of similarities Grounded Theory    Inductive data analysis Creating theory, not testing hypothesis Theory “grounded” in raw data   In what people said, find patterns or themes Grounded theory coding   Series of steps taken from raw data to theory creation Describe patterns by way of creating theories  Theories = relationships between concepts or categories Grounded Theory  First action: open or substantive coding     Deconstructing the data for what stands out In raw data, key points marked as codes What interpret as interesting sentiment/thought Second action: selective coding   Reconstructing the data based on similarities Codes grouped into similar concepts    Mutually exclusive yet conceptually similar Based on interpretation of core aspect of variable(s) being studied Creation of codebook begins at this point Grounded Theory Codebook Location in data of where codes applied Category labels – Category definitions – Category data examples Grounded Theory  Third action: axial coding   From concepts, form categories “Abstracting up”    Finding the similarities amongst concepts Done until mutually exclusivity & exhaustiveness achieved Fourth action: theoretical coding    Categories form basis for theory creation Construction of “interpretive claims” Theories emerge to describe relationships of variables studied as seen by participants As you go up, you become more specific in categories, based on patterns in data, to create themes of what people said, until you may see a pattern that can be a S ta rt theory. here, Ground L evel, rea ding your da ta Judging Quality Grounded Theory  Fit    Relevance    Theories created relevant to those studied Not done just for personal academic interest Workability   How well concepts fit data they represent Fit increased by constantly comparing data to concepts until no more question about where data belongs Theory explains how problem is being solved Modifiability  Alterable when new relevant data is compared to existing data Goals of Grounded Theory   Not about telling “the truth” but discovering “what’s going on” in empirical data Not to describe data but to describe patterns by way of creating theories   Theories are relationships between concepts or categories Can use figures to help illustrate theories Illustrations & Qualitative Analysis  Illustrate frequencies, percentages of codes, categories   Bar Graphs (Excel, Word) Word Tables (Wordle) Discussion Board Activity   With descriptions of video game characters Your goal: get to at least level 3     First: find key things said about the characters Second: look for similarities to make concepts Third: combine similarities into thematic categories Write thematic categories, with brief description to illustrate the category
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