Qualitative social Qualitative social research methodsresearch methods

Analysing and Writing Analysing and Writing up your data.up your data.

Qualitative social Qualitative social research methodsresearch methods

Analysing and Writing Analysing and Writing up your data.up your data.

SOCP0062SOCP0062Leah WildLeah WildWeek 10Week 10

Week 10 overview

• Integrating theory with findings• Analysing qualitative data• Writing up qualitative analysis• Analysing discourse• Discussion of projects

Integrating theory with findings

• Focus on research aims/objectives• Theory-testing, exploring, refining• Theory-building

– Grounded theory– Concepts emerge from data up

• But always based on preconceptions

Stages of analysis• Familiarisation with the data• Descriptive stage• Preliminary analysis stage• Explanatory stage• Verification stage

Familiarisation with the data

• Listen to the tapes• Transcribe the tapes

– Verbatim transcription– Comments on non-verbatim material

• Interview situation/events• Emphasis/mood/tone• Body language

• Read through transcripts

Descriptive stage• Describing/summarising the story in a

few paragraphs– Chronological/key issues

• Identify important categories (from aims and objectives and summaries)– Recursive process

• Construct and fill in thematic grid (A3)

Thematic gridProfile Academic

profileAttitudes

‘Adam’ 14, M, C2 Weak Hates school Q1

‘Billie’ 13, F, AB, brother at Uni

Strong Loves school

‘Catherine’ 14, F, C2 Quite strong

Loves school

‘Dave’ 13, M, AB Quite strong

Hates school

Preliminary analysis stage

• Identifying conceptual categories and sub-categories– Different dimensions of attitudes to school

• Looking for patterns in thematic grids• Looking for surprises/inconsistencies• Identifying key quotes

Explanatory stage• Multiple case analysis

– Comparing/contrasting– Sorting people into categories/types– Identifying typologies– Explaining differences

• Meta-analysis– Broader theory

• Reference to previous theory/research

Future orientation• Identifying conceptual categories and sub-

categories– Time orientation: past, present, future– Extent of orientation: short, medium, long– Nature of orientation: optimism, anxiety,

fatalism– Scope of orientation: social, economic,

anticipatory, precautionary

• Putting people into categories

Future orientation• Identifying typologies

– Optimists: think ahead, in control, optimistic– Worriers: pessimistic, anxious, not in control,

some think ahead, some do not– Fatalists: neither optimistic nor pessimistic,

do not think ahead, not in control but not anxious

• Explaining variations– Age, faith, income/resources

Verification stage• Look for evidence against your findings

– Motivated accounts– Preconceptions– Nature of your relationship with interviewee– Circumstances of the interview

• Triangulation• Involve respondents

– Respondent validation

Writing up• Use the ‘first person’ – I/we, not

the passive voice

• Different structures– Literature, methods, findings– Intro, methods, integrate literature

and findings thematically

Discourse analysis• Analysis of language ‘beyond the sentence’

– Representations and meanings– Describing discourses equally– Link between materiality and meaning

• Discourses on lone mothers– Social threat– Social problem– Escaping patriarchy– Lifestyle change

Applying discourse analysis

• Analyse discourse on combining work and parenthood

• Analyse discourse on fear of crime• Analyse discourse on attitudes to school• Consider the underlying meaning of

what is said not just the particular words used– Tone, context, body language

Your assignment• Title/abstract/introduction• Write in first person (I/we)• Literature review/aims and methods

– previous research/policy– conceptual framework– clear overall aim and researchable

objectives

Methods• Rationale for in-depth interviews• Details of particular methods used• Evaluate your/group role• Reflect on the process• Discuss ethics• Reliability and validity• QUOTE METHODS BOOKS!!!

Findings• Clear structure (with subheadings)• Description of interviewees (anonymised)• Analytical commentary• Use of existing or new concepts• Quotations (in italics)• Refer to key issues from literature review• A clear ‘argument’ is presented

Conclusion and bibliography

• Summarise research findings• Review strengths and weaknesses

of your research• What further research might be

carried out?• Methods and research literature• Harvard style (see my website)

Appendices• Proposal/ethical approval form

(signed)• Unsigned letter of consent• Group contract and journal• Topic guide/other materials• Reference to transcripts but not

necessarily transcripts themselves

Final tips

• Check for overall consistency• Proof read• Leave plenty of time to print it out