Study guide to the course YRM 60806

Qualitative Data Analysis: Procedures and Strategies

2012-2013
Staff
Contact person: Dr Peter Tams
Lecturers and examiners: Dr Gerda Casimir, Dr Peter Tamas.
Assumed knowledge:
YSS-20306, YRM-20806, RDS-33306 or equivalent.
Profile
This is an advanced course which is part of the Research Master Variant in the MSc
programs MID and MME. As such, this course is at the MSc/PhD level.
The aim of the course is to enhance students knowledge and skills in qualitative scientific
research by focusing on knowledge and skills with regard to a number of different
qualitative data analysis methods. In this course text, talk and images are considered for
analysis. The techniques covered are: Content analysis, Metaphor Analysis, Domain
Analysis, Membership Categorization Analysis, Conversation Analysis and Discourse
Analysis. In addition, some basic nonparametric statistics will be covered.
This course expects active participation of all students as workgroups will be prepared by
the students under the guidance of the lecturers. This allows students, especially PhD
students, to bring their own work, data and discussions into the course.
Learning outcomes:
At the end of the course, the student is expected to be able to:
- understand the characteristics of qualitative data and qualitative data analysis
techniques, including strengths and weaknesses;
- understand the principles and characteristics of the strategies discussed:
o judge whether these are useful for a particular research question given the
characteristics of the collected data
o apply these techniques using ATLAS.ti software
o interpret the results
- reflect critically upon the use and interpretation of the discussed methods.
Essential study material
-

Interpreting qualitative data (3rd or 4th ed) by David Silverman. London, Thousand
Oaks, New Delhi: Sage Publications. ISBN13: 978 1 4129 2245.
Making sense of qualitative data: complementary research strategies (1996) by
Amanda Coffey & Paul Atkinson. Chapter 4 Meanings and Metaphors. Available from
BlackBoard.
Qualitative data and statistics (2009) Hilde Tobi. Available from BlackBoard.
Other material will be made available on BlackBoard: Practical guide ATLAS.ti, Papers,
Hand-outs, et cetera.

Supplementary
A. Lewins & C. Silver (2007). Using software in qualitative research: a Step-by-Step
Guide. Thousand Oaks: Sage publications.
Educational activities:
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Week 1
Monday: Lecture (13.30 15.15, C82)
Tuesday: Lecture and workshop (15.30 17.15, C78)
Thursday: Computer practical to get you started with Atlas.ti (13.30-15.15, PC66)
Week 2-5
Monday Discussion meeting (13.30 14.15, C82) and lecture (14.30-15.15, C82).
Tuesday Workshop (15.30 17.15, C78)
Thursday Computer practical (13.30-15.15, PC66)
Week 6
Monday Discussion meeting (13.30 14.15, C82) and lecture (14.30-15.15, C82).
Tuesday Workshop (15.30 17.15, C78)
Thursday Computer practical (13.30-15.15, PC66)
In week 2 6 the workshops (not the practicals!) will be prepared by students under the
guidance and with the help of the lecturers. The students will be grouped by the lecturers
into 4 groups, consisting of both MSc and PhD students. The lecturers have reserved
Thursday afternoons (15.30-17.15h) to help participants prepare.
During the computer practical, students work in pairs. These computer practicals
consist of two parts: the first part focuses on the how to and aims at familiarizing
yourself with the method and the mechanics of Atlas.ti based on a common exercise. This
common part will be discussed on Monday by the lecturers. Of course, students are
welcome to bring in issues they encountered during the practical for the discussion
meeting. The second part of the computer practical gives you the opportunity to start
working (in pairs) on the analyses you have to hand in for the (end of term) paper.
Examination:
Your grade consists of 3 parts.
- A grade for the workshop you, as a group, prepared.
- The paper, on which you work in pairs, is graded.
- A cumulative final written exam .
To pass this course, you need to have a grade of at least 5.5 on two of the three parts
above, and no part can receive less than a 5.0. Your final grade is the average of the
three parts.
Group assignment: preparing the lecture and workshop

This is an excellent opportunity, especially for PhD-students, to bring up your own

project.
Read the material mentioned for the week you and your group are supposed to
prepare, thoroughly.
Also look at the additional material made available to you by the lecturers.
The workshops give you the opportunity to bring in your own data and share your
questions (or answers) with others. So think carefully about your own research
interests and how the strategies relate to that. If none of the group members has
questions or data to share, you may also look for an application of the method(s)
in a scientific paper (preferably not too long!).
To facilitate further guidance by the lecturers (on the Thursday afternoon before
your week): write down your ideas and bring these plus additional materials you
want the lecturers to consider. Of course you can also e-mail us with your
questions. After the Thursday afternoon meeting with the lecturers, you finalize
the Tuesday workshop for your fellow students.

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Grading for workshops

In workshops students are expected to ensure that when we leave that all participants
know:
Why would you use this? (real world examples)
What variations are there on this method (step by step)?
What implications does this method have for data gathering? (e.g. what can you
do with different kinds of data at what expense (time/pushing the data))
What kinds of conclusions does this method allow you to draw?
About what does this method allow you to draw conclusions (e.g. people,
narrative spaces)
How close to the real world does this method allow you to reach and what kinds of
inferences can be made to take the next step?
When might you not want to use it?and, most importantly, why.
Assignment in pairs: the paper
For the paper, you perform specific analyses using ATLAS.ti on material given to you as a
pair. The work for this paper is based on a unique selection of material. The required
analyses will be given in the third week of the course.
The paper, then, consists of the results of the required analyses and a critical reflection
on the methods and the conclusions drawn.
The written exam:
Date: Dec 19th 2010, 14-17h, C67.
The exam tests your proficiency with regard to questions generated during the course
The following table presents the learning outcomes of the course and how they are going
to be assessed:
Learning outcomes:
The student is able:
To understand the
characteristics of qualitative
data and qualitative data
analysis techniques,
including strengths and
weaknesses

Assessment method 1:
Paired assignment using
ATLAS.ti
Identifying strengths and
limitations of discussed
techniques for analysing
the provided data

To understand the principles

and characteristics of the
strategies discussed

To interpret the results of

the analysis using discussed
techniques with ATLAS.ti
Grading:

Identifying and
explaining strengths and
weaknesses of discussed
techniques and of
different types of data
Creating example
exercises demonstrating
understanding of the
principles of discussed
strategies
Applying discussed
strategies to their own
data, or other selected
data, and assessing the
applicability

To judge whether the

strategies discussed are
useful for a particular
research question given the
characteristics of the
collected data
To apply discussed
techniques using software
ATLAS.ti

Assessment method 2:
Group workshop

Applying discussed
strategies using ATLAS.ti
Describing the process of
using ATLAS.ti in writing
Interpreting findings
from ATLAS.ti analysis
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Assessment method 3:
Mixed short answer/multiple
choice exam
Explaining characteristics as
well as strengths and
weaknesses of all discussed
techniques for qualitative data
analysis
Listing and explaining the core
principles of the discussed
strategies

Evaluating summaries of
other researchers choices
of data collection
strategies and procedures
Proposing modifications
to example research
questions and suggested
analytical strategies

Interpreting hypothetical
findings
1/3

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Course Schedule
Week 1 Data, coding and coders
Silverman (2006) Chapters 1-3, 4.4-4.6 OR (2011) Chapters 2, 5, 6.3-6.6
Qualitative data analysis handbook (1995) Chapter 1
Boyatizis - 1998 - Transforming Qualitative Information Chapter 1
Practical: Getting started with Atlas.ti, top-down coding
Week 2 Content analysis & Metaphor analysis
An overview of content analysis. Stemler, Steve
Coffey & Atkinson (1996) Chapter 4. Meanings & Metaphors
Tobi (2009). Qualitative data and statistics
Practical: Content analysis, bottom-up coding and inter-rater agreement
Week 3 Domain analysis & Membership categorization analysis
Silverman (2006) Chapter 4 t/m 4.1-4.3, 5.5-5.6 OR (2011) Chapter 6.1-6.3, 8.4-8.5)
The Ethnographic Interview, James P. Spradley p 107-119
Barker MCA
Practical: Organising your project: Families, queries, and super codes
Week 4 Conversation analysis & Discourse analysis
Silverman (2006) Chapter 6 OR (2011) Chapter 9
Have - 1999 - Doing conversation analysis a practical guide
Georgaca, Avdi - 2012 - Discourse Analysis
Practical: Conversation analysis: Working with A/V data
Week 5 Visual data & Semiotics
Silverman (2006) Chapter 7 OR 2011 Chapter 10
Emmison visual data
Semiotics_for_Beginners p 1-15
Practical: Work on final assignment
Week 6 Scientific credibility & Ethics in qualitative data analysis
Silverman (2006) Chapter 8 OR (2011) Chapter 11
Qualitative Research-2010-Roulston-199-228
Silverman (2006) Chapter 9 Ethics OR (2011) Chapter 4

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