Data Analysis, Interpretation, and
Reporting
Eve 9810001M
Sabrina 9810002M
Outline
 Data Analytic Strategies
 Six Steps in Qualitative Data Analysis
 Grounded Theory Analysis Strategies
 Interpretation Issues in Qualitative Data Analysis
 Writing Research Reports
 Ways of Conducting Reports
Data Analytic Strategies
 Recursive analytic strategies:
analyze cases generate findings
draw conclusion from grounded theory
write report
 Nine qualitative data analysis principles:
1. Collect the data in the field and study all the data carefully to
find out similarities and difference, concepts and reflection.
2. The data analysis can be stopped only with the emergence of
regularities (Saturation and sufficiency of information).
3. Accountability of information: Keep notes or transcripts if
readers or reviewers want to review the data analysis procedures
and results.
4. Divide the data into smaller , more meaning units related to
your major points after reading them all.
5. Organize the smaller units into categories (based on major
points). The process is inductive.
6. Use comparison to build and refine categories, define conceptual
similarities, find negative evidence, and discover patterns.
Ex: pro
one pattern
con
one pattern
7. The categories are flexible and are modified as further data
analysis occurs.
8. Analyze negative cases to reflect their perspectives.
9. Synthesize the patterns into the grounded theory.
Code
Code
Code
Code
Code
Code
Code
(A)
(B)
(C)
(B)
(B)
(C)
(C)
Categor1
(pro 1)
Category 2
(pro2)
Category 3
(pro3)
Category 4
(con1)
Pattern 2
Pattern 1
Grounded Theory
Suggestions
 Should be:
- connected with what is being discussed in
points.
- exact excerpt used in the statement.
 Should not be:
- based on interviewer’s personal opinions.
- irrelevant to the major points.
the major
Six Steps in Qualitative Data Analysis
1. Give codes from the notes.
2. Note personal reflections in the margin.
3. Sort and sift the notes to identify similar and different
relationships between patterns.
4. Identify these patterns, similarities and differences.
5. Elaborate a small set of generalizations that cover the
consistencies.
6. Examine those generalizations and form grounded theory.
Grounded Theory Analysis Strategies
 Grounded theory:
 A process of constructing various data
 Inductive process by collecting, analyzing and comparing
data systematically.
 Theory is grounded on data to explain the phenomena.
 The main purpose is to develop theory through
understanding concepts that are related by means of
statements of relationships.
 Recur by moving back and forth with the data, analyzing,
collecting more data and analyzing some more until reaching
conclusions.
 An interactional method of theory building by comparing and
analyzing the data.
 Three steps in the grounded theory analytic process:
1. Open coding:
Break data into small parts
differences
compare for similarities and
explain the meanings of the data by focusing on
“ who, when, where, what, how much, why” (ask questions to
get a clear story)
2. Axial coding:
After open coding, make connection (sort) between categories
and confirm or disconfirm your hypotheses.
3. Selective coding:
Select the core category (match hypotheses) and explain the
minor category (against hypotheses) with additional supporting
data.
 Coding process:
 Open coding
 Axial coding
 Select coding
Interpretation Issues in Qualitative
Data Analysis
A. Triangulating Data
 Use multiple methods and data sources to support the
strength of interpretations and conclusion
Ex) semi-structured interviews, consent form, grounded
theory
B. Audits
 Questions to examine the data for interpretations and
conclusion
1. Is sampling appropriate to ground the findings?
2. Are coding strategies applied correctly?
3. Is the category process appropriate?
4. Do the results link hypotheses? (examine literature review)
5. Are the negative cases explained? (minority’s voice)
Suggestions
 Four steps of negative case testing
1. Make a rough hypothesis
2. Conduct a thorough search
3. Discard or reformulate hypothesis
4. Examine all relevant cases
C. Cultural bias
 Discuss cultural differences with different groups of
participants
 To see whether divergence is based on culturally different
interpretations
D. Generalization
 Not appropriate for qualitative research
 Two perspectives for generalization
1. Case-to-case translation (transferability)by providing thick description to apply to another setting
2. Analytic generalizationform a particular set of results to a broader theory
Ex) use deviant cases
Writing Research Reports
A. Introduction
B. Literature Review
C. Methodology
D. Results: Tie the results to study purpose (hypotheses)
E. Discussions and Conclusion:
Tie discussions to the literature; recommendations for
practice; limitations of the study
Ways of Conducting Reports
A. Quantitative reports
 Report results by the use of tables and graphs
 Avoid first-person pronoun
 Use passive voice (It is shown / suggested that…)
B. Qualitative reports
 Look for a deep and valid description (narrative style)
 Look for well-grounded theory
 Seek contextual meaning by understanding demographic
information (different experiences)
Thank you for
your attention.