QUANTITATIVE STUDY INFORMATION

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Qualitative Analysis: Coding and Thematic Analysis

College of Doctoral Studies

+Topics Covered in this Lecture n “Begin with the End in Mind”

n Variety of Approaches for Analyzing Qualitative Data

n Structure of Data Collection Will Inform the Analysis

n What is Thematic Analysis?

n Create the Code Book

n Code the Data

n Connect the Codes to Identify Themes

n Visualize the Phenomena

+ Begin with the End in Mind

n Begin with the research questions

n The researcher identifies the data needed and how it will be analyzed to answer each research question, before data collection begins.

n The researcher carefully thinks through the data needed and how it will be collected to directly, clearly, and thoroughly answer each research question.

n Then, the researcher selects the best analysis approach for the data in order to answer each research question.

+Variety of Approaches for Analyzing Qualitative Data

Qualitative analysis: search for patterns in the data and explain those patterns

n  KWIC: Key Words In Context

n  Narrative Analysis: phenomenology; grounded theory

n  Visualizing patterns: Graphs, matrices, flow charts, models

n  Conceptual Models: Process; Decision; Transition; Taxonomies; Mental Models

n  Thematic Analysis: Many different approaches to coding and thematic analysis exist

This presentation will focus on one systematic approach to coding and thematic analysis.

+ Structure of Data Collection Will Inform the Analysis

Data collected through a single

approach such as interviews around the phenomena: How the decision gets made as to

where a child will go to school

(parents)

RQ 1

RQ2

RQ3

Structured Questionnaire:

Criteria used to select a school; criteria used

to reject a school

RQ2 Interview

Q1-3 - What parents consider as alternative choices Q4-5 - How parents make the decision

Study 1 Study 2

+What is Thematic Analysis?

n  A search for themes that emerge and help describe the phenomenon by answering the research questions

n  Requires careful reading, coding data, grouping/ categorizing codes, and reflecting on the categorized/ groups of codes to name and describe the theme

n  Involves recognizing concepts and patterns in the data

n  Provides names and definitions for the codes and themes

n  Can be deductive and inductive n  Inductive: concepts emerge from data n  Deductive: models or literature provide framework for identifying and

coding the concepts before the coding process

+Step 1: Create the Code Book

n  Codebook: A codebook is a template the researcher create for a study

n  Determine the structure for the codes n  Unstructured: Emerge from the data to address all research

questions n  Semi-Structured: Emerge from the data based on research

questions n  Semi-Structured: Use concepts from literature to define

codes or coding areas/concepts n  Structured: Use models to define codes or coding areas/

concepts

n  Read and understand all of the data (interviews, questionnaires, artifacts)

n  Creating a coding table is both creative and analytical.

+Step 1: Sample Codebook Structure

Code #

Code Name: This study used theory to structure codes

Code Definition

Number of Occurrence s of code

Direct quotes that illustrate the Code (source)

Food for Thought: Notes and Comments

S1.0 Define options

S2.0 A

Criteria to accept

S2.0 B

Criteria to reject Step not in model

S3.0 A

Collect data- personal sources

S3.0 B

Collect data- hard sources

S4.0 Analyze options against criteria

S X Validate information Step not in model

S5.0 Make decision

+Step 2: Code the Data

n A code is a “label” to tag a variable, concept, and/ or a value found in the data

n Data are coded according to the selected approach

n Hand coding: Highlight wording/data and put a code number in the margin

n Add new codes to the codebook if new/ unexpected data is found

n Put examples of quotations (to illustrate the code) in the code book

+Step 3: Connect the Codes to Identify Themes

Identifying relationships to begin to create meaning

n Group and/or connect the codes/concepts n Similarities and/or differences n Aspects of the phenomena n Steps in the process n Components of a model

n Identify the themes n Name the theme for each group of codes n Describe or define the theme that emerged from

the grouped codes

+Visualize the Phenomena Create visuals or models to illustrate the

phenomenon or aspects of it

n Create descriptive matrices, graphs, networks, processes, or conceptual models

n Illustrate aspects of the phenomena and their relationships

n Can be done at the content/coding level and/or the theme level

n Helps to answer the research questions

Visualization is analysis

+References

Bazeley, Pat (2009). Analyzing qualitative data: More than ‘identifying themes’. Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research, 2, 6-22.

Bernard, H. R. & Ryan, G. W. (2010). Analyzing qualitative data: Systematic Approaches. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, Int.

Fereday, Jennifer (2006). Demonstrating rigor using thematic analysis: A hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5(1), 80-91.