Analysing qualitative data

This guide describes a simple approach to analysing and interpreting qualitative data or content analysis.

Taylor-Powell and Renner (2003) outline a five-step process to support the analysis of text or narrative data. They also provide examples of identifying themes and labelling data describe the use of computer-based software to organise the data.

This guide states that qualitative data cannot be used for generalising - which is not always true. You might choose to sample and collect qualitative data in a way that helps you to better understand the complexities of an issue, and then use this to develop a quantitative scale to collect more data. Or you might choose and sample and collect qualitative data which can then be coded and summarised and used to make generalisations about the population.

Contents

• Narrative data
• The analysis process
• "Nuts and bolts" of data analysis
• Enhancing the process
• Pitfalls to avoid