Housekeeping
 Ethics
 Midterm marking
1
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
CODING (INTRO EXERCISES)
QUALITY AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
AFFINITY DIAGRAMS
THE QUALITATIVE ANALYTICAL
PROCESS
Qualitative Inquiry - Challenge
To make sense of massive amounts of data,
reduce the volume of information, identify
significant patterns and construct a framework
for communicating the essence of what the
data reveal
2. The Procedures
1 Coding/indexing
2 Categorisation
3 Abstraction
4 Comparison
5 Dimensionalisation
6 Integration
7 Iteration
8 Refutation (subjecting inferences to scrutiny)
9 Interpretation (grasp of meaning - difficult to
describe procedurally)
Exercise 1
 Coding with pre-defined categories
 Deductive analysis
 Theory Testing
6
Exercise 2
 Open coding
 Inductive analysis
 Exploratory research
 Theory building research
7
Constant Comparison
 Each time you code data, compare it with
other data to which you applied that code
 Can also compare with cases/examples from
outside your data set (other research…)
 Similar to clustering algorithms…
 Similar to affinity diagrams (discussed later)
8
CONCEPT GENERATION &
AFFINITY DIAGRAMS
9
The Science and Art of Qualitative
Inquiry (Patton, 1988)
 The Science
The scientific part is systematic, analytical,
rigorous, disciplined, and critical in perspective
 The Art
The artistic part is exploring, playful,
metaphorical, insightful, and creative
Critical Thinking
‘Critical Thinking calls for a persistent effort to
examine any belief or supposed form of
knowledge in the light of the evidence that
supports it and the further conclusions to
which it tends’ (Glaser, 1941)
or more simply!
Critical Thinking means weighting up the
arguments and evidence for and against.
Critical Thinking
• Key points (Glaser, 1941):
– Persistence: Considering an issue carefully
and more than once
– Evidence: Evaluating the evidence put
forward in support of the belief or viewpoint
– Implications: Considering where the belief
or viewpoint leads; what conclusions would
follow; are these suitable and rational; and
if not, should the belief or viewpoint be
reconsidered
Guidance for Creative Thinking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Be open
Generate options
Divergence before convergence
Use multiple stimuli - triangulate
Side track, zig-zag, and circumnavigate
Change patterns
Make linkages
Trust yourself
Work and play at it
The Credibility of Qualitative
Analysis
1 Rigorous techniques and methods for gathering highquality data that is carefully analysed, with attention
to issues of validity, reliability, and triangulation
2 The credibility of the researcher, which is dependent
on training, experience, track record, status, and
presentation of self
3 Philosophical belief in the phenomenological
paradigm, that is, a fundamental appreciation of
naturalistic inquiry, qualitative methods, inductive
analysis and holistic thinking
A Credible Qualitative Study
The write-up for a credible qualitative study
needs to address the following issues:
1 What techniques and methods were used to
ensure the integrity, validity, and accuracy of
the findings
2 What does the researcher bring to study in
terms of qualifications, experience, and
perspective
3 What paradigm orientation and assumptions
ground the study
Principles of Analysing
Qualitative Data
1 Proceed systematically and rigorously (minimise
human error)
2 Record process, memos, journals, etc.
3 Focus on responding to research questions
4 Appropriate level of interpretation appropriate
for situation
5 Time (process of inquiry and analysis are often
simultaneous)
6 Seek to explain or enlighten
7 Evolutionary/emerging
Qualitative Research: Common Features of
Analytic Methods (Miles & Huberman,1994)
1 Affixing codes to a set of field notes drawn
from data collection
2 Noting reflections or other remarks in margin
3 Sorting or shifting through the materials to
identify similar phrases, relationships
between themes, distinct differences
between subgroups and common sequences
Qualitative Research: Common Features of
Analytic Methods (Miles & Huberman,1994)
4 Isolating patterns and processes,
commonalties and differences, and taking
them out to the field in the next wave of data
collection
5 Gradually elaborating a small set of
generalisations that cover the consistencies
discerned in the data base
6 Confronting those generalisations with a
formalised body of knowledge in the from of
constructs or theories
Interface Design and Usability Engineering
Goals:
Articulate:
•who users are
•their key tasks
Task
centered
system
design
Methods:
Evaluate
Brainstorm
designs
Psychology of
everyday
things
Participatory
design
User
involvement
Usercentered
design
Representation
& metaphors
Participatory
interaction
Task /
Cognitive
scenario
walk-through
low fidelity
prototyping
methods
Products:
User and
task
descriptions
Throw-away
paper
prototypes
Refined
designs
Graphical
screen
design
Interface
guidelines
Style
guides
Completed
designs
Usability
testing
Field
testing
Heuristic
evaluation
high fidelity
prototyping
methods
Testable
prototypes
Alpha/beta
systems or
complete
specification
19
brainstorming
 the point is:
 to generate MANY, WIDE-RANGING ideas
 nutty and absurd are GOOD. go for the extremes
(to get out of the rut)
 riff off other’s ideas.
 the point is NOT:
 to generate excellent, complete, feasible ideas
… pressure stifles
 to develop or critique ideas
… go wide. deep is for later.
process
1. prepare a list of topics / questions
ahead of time; or in a preliminary brainstorm
2. facilitator takes team through list of topics
switch topic when energy ramps down
3. notetaker takes notes (very important)
4. switch roles so everyone can play
5. ground rules
6. followup
brainstorming is like
popcorn
ground rules

Postpone and withhold your judgment of ideas:
never criticize

Encourage wild and exaggerated ideas

Quantity counts at this stage, not quality

Switch topics when the popcorn slows down

Build on the ideas put forward by others

Every person and every idea has equal worth

Elect a facilitator (calls switches) and a notetaker
Form groups of 8-10
assign a facilitator, note taker
Problem:
User interface for a car proximity
detection system
 Brainstorm 3 aspects of the
problem: (e.g., current problems,
physical form factor, activity
metaphor, input techniques, etc.)
go: 5 minutes
follow up
 collect the notes
 go through carefully, with judgment turned on
 look for
 interesting, surprising ideas that might work
 ideas that will combine well
 promising directions on which you should
brainstorm more
 keep your notes. at a later design stage, come
back to them and see if anything else has
become useful in the meantime.
work consolidation:
abstracting specific insights
 one tool: the affinity diagram
 can use to “consolidate” insights from collected or
generated data. for example:
 brainstorming about design problems
 categories of problems
 brainstorming about design ideas
 categories of ideas
 comments from users
 categories of desirable / successful features
 Qualitative analysis
 Another way to inductively determine appropriate codes
ITSM Guidelines
EXAMPLE
Methodology (Phase I)
HOT Admin
findings
(4 papers)
Guidelines
from
literature
(14 papers)
Set of
guidelines
(164
guidelines)
• Field studies
• Field study:
• Interviews
• Participatory
observation
• Interviews
• Questionnaires
• Prototyping
• Cognitive
walkthroughs
• Surveying other
literature
28
Methodology (Phase I)
HOT Admin
publications
(4 papers)
Open Coding
Guidelines
from other
literature
(14 papers)
Axial Coding
Set of
guidelines
(164
guidelines)
Categorized
List of
Guidelines
29
High level
Category
Low level
Category
Guideline
Guideline
ID
number
30
Methodology (Phase I)
Guidelines
from other
literature
HOT Admin
publications
(4 papers)
Open
Coding
(14 papers)
Axial
Coding
Set of
guidelines
(164
guidelines)
Card
Sorting
Guidelines
Framework
31
Framework of Guidelines
32
how do you make an affinity diagram?
1.
team writes down all data & insights on post-it notes;
be sure you can link the post-it detail back to its source!
2.
stick one post-it on the wall
a whiteboard or big sheet of butcher paper is best
3.
arrange the other post-its around it, grouping by affinity
to each other. iteration will be required.
4.
look at each group and see what it has in common;
name and describe each group.
5.
“snapshot” the result for documentation
• digital photo  your design website or notebook
• transfer post-its onto xerox paper, 1 sheet / notes-cluster
 scan  website
why does an affinity diagram work?
•
use physical arrangement/proximity to
understand connections
•
openness to serendipity
•
low cost to rearrange ideas
•
many variants:
 arrange along axes rather than by affinity
 tie causes to effects
 group evidence under assertions
affinity diagram exercise
Now take your notes from the earlier
brainstorming and create an affinity diagram
go: 8 minutes
debrief