Moulay Ismail University Course: Research Seminar

School of Arts and Humanities Semester 6: Research Seminar 1

Department of English Studies
Meknes
Data analysis
What is data analysis?
Data analysis is “the process of
collecting, modeling and analyzing
data to extract insights that support
decision-making” (Calzon, 2022).
There are two core methods:
Quantitative and qualitative.
Quantitative analysis

Quantitativeanalysis has three main

purposes: “to measure differences
between groups, assess relationships
between variables and to test
hypotheses” (Jansen & Warren,
2020).
The purpose is achieved by analyzing
data that is usually numbers-based or
data that is converted to numbers
without losing its interpretation.
Qualitative Analysis

Qualitative analysis differs from

quantitative as it assesses data that
is observed and recorded, data that
is “non-numerical in nature”
(QuestionPro, 2022).
Although sources of qualitative data
are non-numerical, there are several
main data collection methods such as
focus groups, case studies and
interviewing through which the data
may be quantified.
How to quantify data?
Quantitative – prepare the data,
decide on statistical approach,
present data with critical lens.
Qualitative – organize the data,
read/code the data and present the
interpretation of the data.
Data analysis: Practice
1
The chart shows the sales revenue of
a selection of home video
entertainment formats in the USA in
2017. It also shows the percentage
change from the previous year
The chart shows the sales revenue of
a selection of home video
entertainment formats in the USA in
2017. It also shows the percentage
change from the previous year
 At the same time, customers were moving
away from the three physical formats in the
chart. DVD and Blu-ray sales dropped by 14 per
cent over the twelve-month period to $4.5
billion in 2017, and rent-by-post revenues went
down by 20 per cent to $0.5 billion. DVD rental
shops saw the largest decline, as spending fell
by 21 per cent to just $0.4 billion.
Overall, there was a clear downward
trend in spending on physical video
formats, as they all showed relatively
low sales and they were all in decline.
However, there was an upward trend
in paying for streaming.
2
 Tips for writing
1.Start by saying exactly what the pie chart
shows. Avoid copying words in the question-
use other words with the same meaning.
2.Mention the survey question that
participants answered
3.Explain what the different sections of the
pie chart refer to
4.Describe the key findings shown in the
chart
Bar chart
Practice: Task 1
Qualitative Data Analysis
Collecting information, which
researchers call data, is only the
beginning of the research process.

Once collected, the information has

to be organized and thought about.
Quantitative analysis uses data to
provide answers which can be
expressed numerically.
Qualitative analysis, which this paper
discusses, is more concerned with
meaning.
Now you have got some data
Start the analysis process by
“getting to know” your data. You do
this by listening to your tapes,
transcribing interviews from tape to
paper, and reading over the written
transcripts.
After doing this, you might have a
general idea of what people are
saying and what your results are
looking like;
Formal systems for the analysis of
qualitative data have been
developed in order to help
researchers get at the meaning of
their data more easily.
Coding techniques for finding and marking
the underlying ideas in the data;
Grouping similar kinds of information
together in categories;
Relating different ideas and themes to
one another
(Rubin and Rubin, 1995)
Organizing the data
Finding and organizing ideas and concepts
Building themes in the data
 Ensuring reliability and validity in the data
analysis and in the findings
 Finding possible and plausible explanations for
findings
 An overview of the final steps
Step 1: Organizing the data
The best way to organize your data is
to go back to your interview guide.
Identify and differentiate between
the questions/topics you are trying
to answer.
Data should be organized in a way
that is easy to look at, and that
allows the researcher to go through
each topic to pick out concepts and
themes.
One way to do this is to organize all
the data from your transcript.
It might look something like this:
 Thismethod of organizing and displaying
the data allows the researcher to look at
the responses to each topic and specific
question individually, in order to make it
easier to pick out concepts and themes
Once the data are organized, the
researcher moves to the next step:
Step 2: Finding and Organizing Ideas
and Concepts
Look for words/phrases used
frequently
When looking at the various responses
for one particular question, the
researcher may find specific words or
ideas keep coming up.
The researcher should make note of the
different ideas (i.e., keep a list) as the
different responses are read through.
Example
There are many ideas here. The
participant didn’t tell a lot of people
about his TB (only those he had to).
For his family, their main reaction
was concern/worry both for him and
for themselves. For his boss, he was
worried about the other employees.
Finding meaning in language
Sometimes we can learn about a
person’s perceptions, attitudes, and
feelings about something simply by
noticing the words they use to express
themselves
The people who you are interviewing
probably have their own way of
expressing themselves.
The way in which they refer to specific
things or events can reflect attitudes or
behaviors.
Step 3: Building themes in the data
Each of the response categories has
one or more associated themes that
give a deeper meaning to the data.
Different categories can be collapsed
under one main over-arching theme.
One of the themes that emerges
from the TB data is that this
participant associated feelings of
isolation with TB.
The theme of isolation emerges from
the responses, and the cat- emerges
from the responses.
He sees how other people with TB have
been treated.
The story of his sister’s friend.
He fears how others will react, so he
limits the number of people told in
order to avoid further isolation.
Step 4: Finding Possible and Plausible
Explanations of the Findings
Startby making a summary of your findings
and your themes.
Ask Yourself Some Questions:
Are these findings what you were
expecting, based on the literature?
Were there any major surprises in the
findings?
How are they different/similar to what
is stated in the literature from other
similar studies?
References
 J.W. Creswell 1998 Qualitative Inquiry and
Research Design — Choosing Among Five
Traditions. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks
California.
 Denzin K.N. and Y.S. Lincoln 1994 Handbook of
Qualitative Research, Sage Publications,
Thousand Oaks, California.
 Kvale,S. 1996 InterViews. Sage Publications,
Thousand Oaks California, 1996.
 Marshall,C. and G. Rossman 1995 Designing
Qualitative Research. Sage Publications, Thousand
Oaks California.
 Miles,H.B., and A.M. Huberman 1994 Qualitative
Data Analysis. Sage Publication, Thousand Oaks
California.
 Rubin,J.H. and S.J. Rubin 1995 Qualitative
Interviewing, the Art of Hearing Data. Sage
Publications, Thousand Oaks California
Writing an Abstract
Although it is usually brief (bw 150-300
words), an abstract is an important part
of a research paper.
Done well, the abstract should create
enough reader interest that readers
will want to read more!
Introduction: Introduce the topic,
problematic, purpose ….
Abstract: Give an overview of the
entire research, in particular its findings
and contribution to the field.
An abstract should be a standalone
summary of your paper, which readers
can use to decide whether it's relevant
to them before they dive in to read the
paper.
Normally an abstract includes the
following:
• A brief introduction to the topic that
you're investigating.
• Explanation of why the topic is important
in your field/s.
• Statement about what the gap is in the
research.
• The purpose of the research.
• An indication of your research methods
and approach.
• A summary of your key findings.
• An explanation of why your findings and
key message contribute to the field/s.
An abstract includes points covering
these questions:
• What is your paper about?
• Why is it important?
• How did you do it?
• What did you find?
• Why are your findings important?
Main Components of an Abstract
Context
The opening sentences should
summarize your topic and describe
what researchers already know, with
reference to the literature.
Purpose
A brief discussion that clearly states the
purpose of your research or creative
project. This should give general
background information on your work
and allow readers to understand what
you are talking about.
Methods
In this section you will be discussing the
ways in which your research was
performed and the type of tools or
methodological techniques you used to
conduct your research.
Findings
This is where you describe the main
findings of your research.
Try to include only the most important
findings of your research that will allow
the reader to understand your
conclusions.
Significance
This is the final section of your
abstract where you summarize the
work performed. This is where you
also discuss the relevance of your
work and how it advances your field
and the scientific field in general.
Human Trafficking: The Relationship between
Government Efforts and Survivor Punishment