AGENDA FOR TODAY Overview of the range of approaches to data analysis Generating textual data

3. Lecture 8 of Technical Module Qualitative Data Analysis and Diary Project • AGENDA FOR TODAY • Overview of the range of approaches to data analysis • Generating textual data • The role of writing in analysis • Theory-based analysis - Analysis generating theory • A note on the basics of coding qualitative data • Diary Analysis • Entry point to data analysis • Diary data and expunge • Group Activity – new groups • Group Discussion

4. THE BASICS OF QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS ANALYSIS: range of processes and procedures whereby we move from the qualitative data that have been collected into some form of explanation, understanding or interpretation of the people and situations we are investigating Usually involves two things, writing and the identification of themes CODING: Looking for themes involves coding. This is the identification of passages of text (or other meaningful phenomena, such as parts of images) and applying labels to them that indicate they are examples of some thematic idea. INTERPRETING: description involves some level of interpretation. Interpretation refers to the categorisation and analytic understanding that begins to explain why things are as you have found them.

5. Methods Continuum to Analysis Circles and Theory Structured and Formal Data Generated Theory Theoretically informed e.g. Marxist, Freudian, Phenomenological, NPT *, Structuralist, human rights, narrative or dialogic, gendered, symbolic interaction, actor-network theory, semiotic etc. *Normalisation Process Theory Techniques: Grounded in data,coding, classifying, sensing, intuition Narrative and Ethnographic New Theory!

6. Data Generated Theory Theoretically Informed Presumptions – yet no proof! BUT, you presume there is a social world, you presume it as object of study and you presume there are some “themes” and a theory in there somewhere! Assumptions Symbolic Interactionism Theory Assumes: meanings are produced by agents through interactions with symbols Marxist Theory Assumes: need to begin with mode of production and dialectical materialist interpretation of development; a dialectic

7. THAT’S THE THEORY, WHERE DO WE BEGIN?

8. What is your data telling you and what is the meaning of what it is telling you? What does this meaning tell us about other phenomena? What is the relations between phenomena? Puzzle Metaphor

9. Field notes Observations Diagrams Maps Photos Films Material objects Diaries Life stories Case studies VIA ANALYSIS AND THEORY

10. GENERATING TEXT: Researchers at work The Field Notebook/diary Our Point of Departure Role of Writing Creative Process TRANSCRIPTION

11. IMPORTANCE OF WRITING Generate data and describe in text, detach and deconstructdata and the texts, finally reassembletext*

12. AND EVENTUALLY Back into a Text

13. REALITY: The Basic Steps Generate Texts Start Writing REFLECT Read, re-read and read again REFLECT Think about what strikes you most Think about themes Think about categories Read again and interrogate text with these themes, categories, ideas REFLECT Try to code data with these themes, categories REFLECT Start to write some ideas REFLECT Go back to data again and test emergent theory of connections, understandings, interpretations REFLECT on your Interpretation DISCUSS and WRITE your Interpretation

14. USE TOOLS LIKE Colours – pens – stickers – post-it notes – mind maps – collage – story boards – pictures – diagrams to DEVELOP interpretations, ideas, linkages and connections, relations And CREATE a “system” “process” “literacy” to work with your data (codes, symbols, patterns, identifiers)

15. NOW TRY IT OUT

16. Group Activity Expunge Data from Digital Trail Questions to Discuss as Group What was your experience of Diary writing Did your thoughts change? Can you think of any codes in your text? Can you detect any themes?

17. NEXT WEEK Three groups will analyse three different focus groups See website for transcripts