Qualitative methods I

Dr Emma Walter
Last week....
We introduced the 3 key research method
approaches

This week:

● Grounded theory
● Narrative analysis
NOTE: Methodology vs Methods and
Techniques
Methodology
Theoretically informed framework regarding approach to the research

Methods and
techniques
The specific approach we will take to collecting and analysing our
data
 Experiential vs Discursive
Approaches
Experiential approaches
Discursive approaches
• Inferring meaning from data
• Draws inferences about people – • How talk is used in social
think, feel, do situations
• Includes • Does not make inferences about
• Thematic analysis how people think, feel and do
• Grounded theory • Includes
• Narrative theory • Discourse analysis
• Interpretive • Conversation analysis
Phenomenology • Analysis of institutional
• Frame-work analysis interaction e.g. workplaces
Grounded
theory
 Overview of approach
• Purpose – theory development
• Used in discovering what problems exist in a social scene and how persons handle
them
• Involves formulation, testing, & redevelopment of propositions until a theory is
developed

• Underlying approach to knowledge –

• Pragmatism “knowledge production is a matter of perspective and that warrants to
truth are a matter of consensus among the members of the community of inquirers.”
(Rennie 2000, p. 492)
• Symbolic interactionism - social interactions are meaningful and these shared
meanings are influential in society
• Process
1. Determine initial research question
2. Recruit and collect data
3. Break up transcripts into excerpts using open coding
• Reflect on thoughts and contradictions by writing memos during analysis
4. Group excerpts together into codes using open coding
5. Group codes into categories using axial coding
6. Analyse excerpts using constant comparative method
 Data collection methods

Data collection Analysis

• Sampling (participant • Coding data – use categories of
selection) meaning and make links
• Purposive • Following phases:
• Theoretical • Transcription of interview
data
• Collected via: • Initial (or “open”) coding
• Interviews • Axial coding
• Focus groups • Selective coding
• Observation • Testing of emergent theory
• Record review
• Diaries/documents • Analysis is “an iterative and
• Videos recursive process; while each
• Photos stage informs the next, all
• Images stages are revisited as the
• Combination research project progresses.”
Steps 1 and 2
1.Determine initial research questions

2.Recruit and collect data using theoretical sampling

○ Theoretical sampling
○ Collect data Theoretical sampling is defined as a
process of ongoing data collection for
○ Prepare data for analysis – create transcripts
the purpose of generating theory,
where previous analysis influences
decisions about the subsequent data
to be collected. It is theoretical
because it is guided by and
contributes to the emerging model.
Theoretical sampling is an essential
characteristic of a complete grounded
theory study.” (Payne 2007, p. 74)
 Step 3
Break up transcripts into excerpts using open coding

Notice similarities and differences between excerpts

• Compare different excerpts from the same person
• Compare similar excerpts that occur between different people
• Compare different peoples’ experiences within similar excerpts
• Compare excerpts as they differ from one day to the next

Example

We interview a group of people about the COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne……

Reflect on thoughts and contradictions by writing memos during analysis

● Keeping a record of your reflections

 Steps 4, 5, and 6
Group excerpts together into codes using open coding

● Sets of excerpts that represent the same central idea or concept, and group them together.
● You can use a “code” to encapsulate these groups of excerpts.
● Codes are like tags or labels that are assigned to excerpts of text.
● Once you have a code – all future excerpts get compared to this code (and any others)

Group codes into categories using axial coding

● Compare codes with other codes
● Codes with connections they are grouped into a ‘category’

Analyze more excerpts using constant comparative method

● Make comparisons with your new excerpts to codes and categories you have already created. Aimed
to do one of three things:
○ Contradiction
○ Expansion
○ Support – important for theoretical saturation
Steps 7, 8 and 9
Continue collecting data and analyzing until you reach theoretical saturation
• How do we know when we have collected enough data?
• Theoretical saturation – when new data does not add new information

Define the core category using selective coding

• Pulls your findings together – all codes and categories under ONE core category
• Represents the central thesis of your research

Write your grounded theory

• State your new theory in just a couple words or sentences
• Define the limits or boundary of your theory
• Summarize and write a description of your theory
• Use your coded data to validate the points you suggest in your theory
• Write an accurate statement of what was studied, and construct your theory in a form that other
researchers can use.
 Advantages Disadvantages

• Findings accurately represent real • Difficulty recruiting

world setting • Time consuming
• Findings are tightly connected to • Challenges in analysis
the data
• Great for new discoveries
• Offers strategies for analysis
• Data collection and analysis are
streamlined and tightly
interwoven
• Protects against confirmation bias
Narrative
Analysis
 What is narrative analysis?
• Method for understanding how participants Examples of
construct a story (narrative) from their personal narratives
experience • Topical stories
• Dual layer • Personal narratives
• Participants interpret their lives • Entire life story
• Researcher interprets the construction of
the narrative

• Collected via:
• Journals
• Letters
• Conversations
• Auto-biographies
• Interview transcripts
Narrative analysis process
1. Code narrative blocks (inductive)

2. Group and read by life-event

3. Create nested story structure codes (deductive)

4. Delve into the story structure

5. Compare across story structure

6. Tell the core narrative

A note: Deductive vs inductive coding

● Deductive – Pre-set structure of codes you will use
● Inductive – No set structure
Advantages Disadvantages

• Depth • Researcher must be heavily

• Reflects historical context embedded in the topic
• Allows lived experience to be • Researcher must have broad
recorded understanding of the subject’s life
experience
• Time-consuming
• Subjective
• Reliant on participants’ memory
 Thank you
Next week
● Discourse analysis
● Ethnography
● Interpretive Phenomenological
Analysis (IPA)
Resources
● Aydin-Dūzgit, Senem; Rumeli; Bahar (2018). Discourse Analysis: Strengths and Shortcomings. All Azimuth.
● Bayer, B; Lerounge, E; Peglar, M; Rahimi, S; Weshah, N. (n.d.). Presentation of Two Research Methodologies:
Interviews & Discourse Analysis. https://discourseanalysis-interviews.weebly.com/index.html
● Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria.
Qualitative Sociology, 13, 3-21.
● Charmaz, Kathy (2006). Constructing Grounded Theory: A practical guide through Qualitative Analysis.
Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
● Delve, Ho, L., & Limpaecher, A. (2021, September 17). The Practical Guide to Grounded Theory. Practical Guide
to Grounded Theory Research.
● Feminist Qualitative Research and Grounded Theory: Complexities, Criticisms, and Opportunities. (2007). In A.
Bryant, & K. Charmaz (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Grounded Theory. (pp. 417-436). London, England: SAGE
Publications Ltd. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781848607941.n19
● Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research.
● Luo, A. (2019, August 23). What is discourse analysis? Scribbr.
https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/discourse-analysis/
● Milliken, P. (2010). Grounded Theory. In Neil J. Salkind (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Research Design. (pp. 549-554).
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412961288.n169
● Mogashoa, Tebogo (2014). Understanding Critical Discourse Analysis in Qualitative Research. International
Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education.
● Patterson, Wendy (2013) Doing narrative research Wendy Patterson. In: Doing narrative research, 18th
October 2013, IOE.
● Riessman, Catherine Kohler. (©1993) Narrative analysis /Newbury Park, CA : Sage Publications,
● Schneider, F. (2013, May 13). How to do a Discourse Analysis. Politics East Asia.
http://www.politicseastasia.com/studying/how-to-do-a-discourse-analysis/
● Shaw, Sara; Bailey, Julia (2009). Discourse analysis: what is it and why is it relevant to family practice. Oxford