Qualitative Data Analysis

If you collect data using interviews, focus groups or observation, you will need to audio or video record the interviews – make sure you have permission.

You will then need to transcribe the interviews – it takes time. You can use NVivo – Video.

You will also need to analyse the data in a similar way if you include open questions on questionnaires.

You will then need to analyse the texts in various ways. In simple terms, you are looking for patterns in the texts, similarities and differences in what people have said. You will therefore need to assign all the different ideas and thoughts into categories (called coding) and organise these in some way.

An easy, but good, way to analyse interview data is here: PDF

A more detailed way is here: PDF

My summary and suggestions: PDF

This method can also be used for analysing various written texts.

Whichever method you choose, make sure that you have approached the analysis in a systematic and disciplined manner and that you have provided enough detail so that a reader can understand how you have reached the conclusions you have from the data you have collected.

See Vanover, Mihas & Saldaña (2022) for some good examples.

Further details:

Narrative Analysis – PDF

Template Analysis – PDF

Framework Analysis – PDF

Thematic Analysis – PDF

Content Analysis – PDF

Grounded Theory – PDF

IPA (Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis) – PDF

CCC (Codes, Categories, Concepts) – PDF