Mini-Project: Themes and the Write-Up

Qualitative Research

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The ultimate goal of any qualitative researcher is to communicate the study findings in a manner that is understandable to the readers. However, communicating and finding presentation pose serious challenges to many researchers. The difficulty comes in when the author wants to pull together all the data already successfully collected, undertaking the proper analysis as well as presenting the findings and conclusions. Accordingly, this paper presents a summary of my interviewing Mini-Project based on a review of the coded data and the subsequent preparation of the study write-up of the findings.

Therefore, to avoid the challenges faced by other authors when presenting their data, I will proactively analyze the interview data and point out any larger themes emerging from such coded data. Moreover, I seek to consider how I would effectively present my finding so as to avoid being trapped in challenges already felt by the previous authors (Patton, 2002). This can only be realized through a keen interest in my data analysis and presentation that foster evidence of quality. Therefore, through effective analysis accompanied by the efficient presentation of qualitative data will help me weed out the confusion created when analyzing and presenting the data. Therefore, this study uses a pragmatic approach based on a thematic content analysis.

Therefore, to ensure evidence of quality in my paper, I use the inductive approach rather than a deductive approach. This involves analyzing the data based on no predetermined theory, framework or structure. Moreover, I use the actual data itself for the derivation of the structure analysis. Through this comprehensive analysis of the data as well as the fact that the method’s suitability when there is no prior hypothesis or knowledge about the topic or problem, I will adequately tackle the analysis and presentation of the data. Moreover, the inductive analysis has been proved to give evidence of quality from the many previous qualitative studies. To be specific, the paper singles out the thematic content analysis that has also shown effective evidence of quality as it is the commonly used approach.

The method is effective since it resulted from the grounded theory approach but fits a range of qualitative studies. This approach is relevant and appropriate to qualitative studies since it is based on the analysis of transcripts as well as the identification of themes within the data already collected with the themes emerging from the particular texts. From my interview transcripts, this method is effective in making sense of the data through efficient exploration and interpretation of such gathered data. In this research, I began the data analysis immediately after the first data collected which I then modified throughout my research. This gave me an adequate insight of the initial analysis of the data that further informed my data collection to refine the emerged themes. Particularly, my interview schedules were subsequently modified with respect to the emerging findings to fine-tune the additional clarification.

The thematic content analysis enabled adequate identification and categorization of the emerging themes from the data. This therefore was adequate in helping me to discover the larger themes arising from my interview transcripts as well as attempting the data verification to confirmation and qualification of the themes through a thorough search through data and repetition of the process to identify more themes and categories. Therefore, from my open coding, I managed to get a clear summary statement as well as the word for particular element discussed within the transcript. Moreover, the un-codding also enable me to counteract the deviations resulting from the respondents who went off track by beginning to move away from the topic under consideration.

After doing the analysis of the data, there is a need for a write-up. My paper employed the approach of reporting the key finding under particular theme and category based on relevant verbatim quotes to reflect the findings. Therefore, from the interview, the data reflected that children can operate contrast and contradictions about food effortlessly. The contradiction are sophisticated as well as complex. Moreover, they integrate positive as well as negative notions associated with food and health alongside social impacts that can be efficiently adopted by the children based on how the school children understand food. This theme is supported by the responses given by the children based on their experiences with of their mothers. This theme was evident throughout the interview transcripts for the answers given by the children about their understanding of the foods were greatly influenced by their mothers. The children that were interviewed said in most cases that they had to drink the juice since their mothers had showed them that drinking juice is healthy to their health and hence had to heed to their mothers recommendations and command so as to remain healthy. Therefore, this was one of the major or larger themes that stood out in my thematic analysis of the interview results.

Another theme that stood out was that of the peer influence about how the children understand food. Copying or imitating their fellow schoolmates was also a common answer that received a higher code as one of the factors that shape the children understanding of the food. The interviewed children said that they always taken some food types as a result of copying each other during school mean times (Creswell, 2013). They always say that they should be copied as well as whatever they eat. Accordingly, children always find themselves eating the food or liking the food just because their colleagues take them.

The children particular groupings in school also were reported as one of the major themes influencing their understanding of food. This is because many children mentioned friendship groups as a key contributor to their eating habits. Therefore, particular school meal type attracted different children. Particularly, the identified that school children have particular similar packed lunches or dinners that are always unique per friendship groupings. Therefore, this factor also got a higher code during the data collection stage reflecting its commonness amongst the children as a chief contributor to the types of food eaten by the children as well as their understanding of those range of foods being eaten in such groupings. Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper has adequately explained a pragmatic process of thematic analysis as an effective mechanism to analyze qualitative data drawn from the interview. The themes are collated from the categorization of similar factors. Despite, the fact that the data analysis and presentation is a problem to many researchers, the framework used in this paper adequately helped me capture the necessary information within a short period and hence is an effective method for data analysis and presentation. The school children identified three main or larger themes that determine their understanding of the food; friendship, peer pressure and contractions and contradictions.

Therefore, this finding and its subsequent analysis is effective in understanding the factors that contribute to the children understanding of the food types preferred by the children. Moreover, it was also noted that the respective mothers of school children greatly shape their understanding of the foods. This is because many children reported having found themselves eating particular types of foods since they have been recommended to them by their mothers. To sum up, ensuring the evidence of quality and trustworthiness in any qualitative research might be greatly challenging. However, efficient and effective use of thematic content analysis is the best approach to ensure that the study has evidence of quality. Therefore, the researchers must adequately practice and master effective steps to ensuring satisfactory research findings hence evidence of quality.

Reference

Creswell, J.W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five Approaches (3rd.ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. (3rd. ed). Thousand Oaks,CA: Sage Publications, Inc.