Question

A description and example of four qualitative data analysis techniques

Answer 1

There are basically two approaches of qualitative data analysis

1) Deductive approach

The deductive approach involves analyzing qualitative data based on a structure that is predetermined by the researcher. In this case, a researcher can use the questions as a guide for analyzing the data. This approach is quick and easy and can be used when a researcher has a fair idea about the likely responses that he/she is going to receive from the sample population.

2) Inductive approach

The inductive approach, on the contrary, is not based on a predetermined structure or set ground rules/framework. This is more time consuming and a thorough approach to qualitative data analysis. Inductive approach is often used when a researcher has very little or no idea of the research phenomenon.

Technigues of qualitative data analysis are as follows

1) Content analysis: This is is one of the most common methods to analyze qualitative data. It is used to analyze documented information in the form of texts, media, or even physical items. When to use this method depends on the research questions. Content analysis is usually used to analyze responses from interviews.

2) Narative analysis: This method is used to analyze content from various sources, such as interviews of respondents, observations from the field, or surveys. It focuses on using the stories and experiences shared by people to answer the research questions.

3) Disclosure analysis: Like narrative analysis, discourse analysis is used to analyze interactions with people. However, it focuses on analyzing the social context in which the communication between the researcher and the respondent occurred. Discourse analysis also looks at the respondent’s day-to-day environment and uses that information during analysis.

4) Grounded theory :This refers to using qualitative data to explain why a certain phenomenon happened. It does this by studying a variety of similar cases in different settings and using the data to derive causal explanations. Researchers may alter the explanations or create new ones as they study more cases until they arrive at an explanation that fits all cases.

Example: Suppose a researcher want to study the reason behind the girls dropout from schools and conducted various interviews regarding this. Researcher must have written or recorded the interviews of respondents. Content analysis would be used in analysis of these written or recorded interviews. However when researcher went to the field he must have observed something or made an observation by listening to the experience of the respondents it will be narrative analysis. Interaction environment between researcher and respondents also effect the interview so it's analysis takes place under disclosure analysis and while analysis the repondents interview and drawing conclusion from it and linking it with previous studies comes under grounded theory analysis technique.