Analysis and Interpretation Worksheet

RES/724 v6

Analysis and Interpretation

Edens Pun

University of Phoenix

RES/724

DR. Eleanor Burns

September 13, 2021

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Observation Guide RES/724 v6 Page 2 of 6

Part I: Analysis and Interpretation

Interview Data:

1. Select an appropriate analytic procedure to code your interview data.

2. Code your data using a qualitative data analysis program or by hand in a separate document. This process

must identify: (1) codes and themes, (2) sub-codes, (3) categories, and (4) subcategories.

a. Discuss your approach to coding the interview data. What procedure(s) did you select? Justify your

response.

Interviews were structured conversations where one individual asks questions while the other participant

provides answers as required. In this case, I was required by the university lecturer to provide a transcribed

interview involving my colleagues. I assigned the first colleague as some participants and the other B for easier

comprehension. Various procedures required in conducting a good interview hence acquiring the desired

information were learned in this activity.

3. Examine the results of your analytic procedure(s).

a. Identify 2 or 3 initial assertions based on your interpretation of the interview data. Discuss how you

arrived at each assertion.

Firstly, having great content on the area of research assisted me in inquiring about relevant and accurate

information. As an employee of the Veterans Agency, my knowledge of how the corporation operates and

the challenges involved was essential during the interview.

Secondly, during the start of my interview with the two participants, I became aware of the need to

introduce myself to the subjects as it makes them comfortable and ready to share information freely

b. Synthesize your initial assertions into a key assertion about the central phenomenon in your mock study.

I felt contended about the central phenomenon concerning the data that obtained since it answered my

interview questions. Generally, the respondents were well vast in veteran matters hence provided accurate

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Observation Guide RES/724 v6 Page 3 of 6

Observation Data:

1. Review the Observation Guide you completed in Week 6, paying attention to your field notes and detailed

narrative passages.

2. Compose 2 or 3 analytic memos triggered by your field notes.

a. Memo 1:

I learned about the need to ask open-ended questions contrary to the popular yes/no format of quizzes. These

situations help in gathering detailed information from the participants. Therefore, to collect more information

previously not listed among questions, it is wise to ask open-ended questions. The open-ended version forces your

subject to reveal details, such as how many volunteers are needed, what steps will have to be taken, and leads to

an interesting second question about the challenges the project will face. Moreover, during the interview, it

became clear that note-taking of various points and emerging issues is vital for future references.

I also faced various challenges during my interview, which would be avoided in future cases. In this regard, I

learned about the need to allocate accurate time on each question since some of them require more extended

periods to be answered. Failure to adhere to this method led to some questions being responded to briefly. Further,

I faced the challenge of the participants providing conflicting information. Asking wrong questions was also

another challenge, especially with the open-ended nature of my interview. This further led to irrelevant questions

being asked.

b. Memo 2:

Sometimes, the participants knows that Sometimes, one knows that they come, they know, I'm a nurse. I

can help him. I can help as far as I can, but sometimes I can't, they know that time also, I try to help if they

need medical, medical attention right away. I can't, you know, I can make appointment with the doctor,

concerned doctor sometimes, you know, even I, she know I work in a special procedure clinic, but it's still

in know sometimes you know, that now that doctor doesn't belong to my clinic still, I sent a note from our,

from patient chart to his doctor, concerned doctor. And then you make them aware what I know, what,

what is my concern about that patient? And then I will notify, notify the patient also and tell them, you

know, I already notify their doctor.

c. Memo 3:

Below is the first study to use data from a study of African-American women who attended mostly white

schools. Notice how the note describes the interviewee's initial background and some information about

his family. Notes refer to the interview text and note the line number where this information was gathered

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Observation Guide RES/724 v6 Page 4 of 6

from the interview. Note that this notice goes beyond description and is included in the analysis. The

analytical point of this note is to gather information about the overall aim of the study, which addresses

issues of racial identity and body image, and what impact attending a predominantly white school has on

African Americans' perceptions, if any, of women for racial identity and Feelings for their body image.

You will find that references link racial pride, self-esteem, and self-confidence as important factors that

appear to protect women of color from white Western beauty standards that are shown in the research

literature as important factors in the development of body image among Caucasian women. . . While the

interrelationships of the factors in this record are still indicative, we can see that we have the beginning of

a series of important relationships that the researcher needs to examine more closely in other interview

materials.

3. Compose a meta-memo that synthesizes the primary elements from your analytic memos into a new whole.

The coding process just described is poorly modeled by a "solid theory" approach to qualitative data analysis.

Reasoned theory is a form of analysis. This analytical perspective begins with a commitment to data and ends

with a theory based on or on data. Theory provides us with an important strategy for extracting meaning from

quality data. Refines sound theory ideas in a brief step-by-step guide to analysis. It guides the reader through

the process of collecting, analyzing and recording data. This analysis component works iteratively. When

someone collects data, they analyze the data. You start the process.

4. Examine the results of your analytic procedure(s).

a. Identify 2 or 3 initial assertions based on your interpretation of the observation data. Discuss how you

arrived at each assertion.

A solid theoretical approach is only one of many analytical strategies, such as analyzing the content of your data.

There is no right or wrong way to synthesize data, and researchers often jump between collecting, analyzing, and

writing. I have suggested some specific analytical strategies to accompany each of the research methods presented

in this book.

b. Synthesize your initial assertions into a key assertion about the central phenomenon in your mock study.

Analysis and interpretation are not necessarily two separate phases in the qualitative research process, as we saw

in the case of in-depth theoretical analysis. The process is much smoother because researchers are often involved

in the process of data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of research results at the same time. During the

initial field observations or initial interviews, the researcher can use the preliminary notes to assess which ideas

seem plausible and which need to be reconsidered.

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Observation Guide RES/724 v6 Page 5 of 6

Part II: Reflection

Reflective essay about your experience applying qualitative research methods and the knowledge you have gained

from this course. Include your essay in the space below.

Whether the data comes from job observations or intensive interviews, researchers deal with qualitative data at an

intimate level. As we move from data collection and coding questions to research collection questions, another

problem arises in relation to the interpretation of qualitative data. At the heart of this inquiry is the question of

power and control over the interpretation process.

I turned to another important way in which the social characteristics of the researcher can influence research by

addressing the problem of interpretation. One of the central questions in discussing the interpretation of these

findings is the extent to which differences in power between researcher and subject affect study results and the

researcher's assessment of their importance. The second type of software is specifically designed for qualitative

data analysis. These packages are divided into four types: coding and retrieval programs, code-based theory,

conceptual networking programs, and text mapping software. Coding and retrieval programs allow you to map

code to specific text segments and make it easier to find code categories using powerful Boolean search functions.

To test hypotheses in the data while others visualize the function of the data into their code-based theories

program.

The field of high-quality software development has evolved over time and that there is a thriving and broad

international community of software users. The increasing use of software programs as tools for qualitative

analysis raises a number of methodological and theoretical concerns about data analysis and interpretation of

qualitative data. I was discussing five problems that critics frequently address when it comes to software use. The

first concern is that computer programs separate the quality researcher from the creative process. Some analysts

compare a high-quality work experience to a work of art, and the use of computer technology is often viewed as

incompatible with the arts. There is a great fear that the use of computer programs will render researchers

meaningless and insensitive.

Researchers must now take greater responsibility for their analysis. A computer program for qualitative data

analysis requires that the researcher be aware of the analytical procedures and processes he goes through to obtain

and interpret his data.

Another fear is that the line between quantitative and qualitative analysis will be blurred by imposing the logic of

research on qualitative research and sacrificing in-depth analysis for larger samples. This concern arises from the

fact that software programs now make it possible to easily encode and retrieve large numbers of documents. Other

issues discussed included the fear that computer use might dictate the definition of a particular subject. The

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Observation Guide RES/724 v6 Page 6 of 6

structure of a software program often demands a research project. This has raised concerns among some critics

that software programs dictate the types of questions asked and plans for analyzing certain data.

Researchers must now take greater responsibility for their analysis. A computer program for qualitative data

analysis requires that the researcher be aware of the analytical procedures and processes he goes through to obtain

and interpret his data.

Copyright© 2019 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.