Strategies for Working with Combined Qualitative Longitudinal Data Sets Getting out of the swamp: a strategy for working across qualitative longitudinal data sets to develop research design Dr Anna Tarrant, University of Leeds Working across multiple qualitative longitudinal studies: lessons from a feasibility study looking at care and intimacy Susie Weller & Ros Edwards, University of Southampton Emma Davidson & Lynn Jamieson, University of Edinburgh

1. Introduction 2. Secondary Analysis Strategies Across Two Studies -Men, Poverty and Lifetimes of Care -Activity 1 3. Capturing Change and Continuity from Multiple Studies -Working across QLR studies -Activity 2 4. Closing reflections

Project websites Working across qualitative longitudinal studies Men, Poverty and Lifetimes of Care

The Timescapes study and archive ESRC funded Timescapes Programme ( ) - consortium of researchers from five universities, Conceptually, study sought to understand the significance of time in people’s lives, Specialist archive of QL data established in 2012 for the purpose of ‘scaling up’ QL data, data-sharing and re-use (Neale and Bishop, 2012), Long term strategy to build collections of thematically related QL datasets to facilitate data discovery and secondary analysis

Projects that span the lifecourse Projects: Siblings and Friends: children’s lateral relationships Young Lives and Times: teen to adulthood, The Dynamics of Motherhood: an intergenerational project Masculinities, Identities and Risk: lives of men and fathers Work and Family Lives: the changing experiences of ‘young’ families Intergenerational Exchange: grandparents, exclusion and health Sharing the inventing adulthoods project The Oldest Generation: events, relationships identities in later life, Following Young Fathers, lives of young fathers (aged 14-24) Data: Qualitative longitudinal (10+ years) multi-media data 400+ participants

Anna’s study “Men, Poverty and Lifetimes of Care” (Oct ) Two phases: -Q-Qualitative Secondary Analysis of two existing Timescapes datasets; Following Young Fathers (FYF) and Intergenerational Exchange (IGE) -P-Primary data collection – multiple interviews + mapping and photovoice

Methodological Strategy Stakeholder Ethics (Neale, 2013) – collaborative analysis with primary research teams 1.Familiarisation with the datasets and determining ‘fit’ 2.Data sharing workshops -Bornat et al (2008) -Irwin and Winterton (2012) 3. Qualitative Secondary Analysis -Thematic and Framework

Methodological Strategy ProjectIntergenerational Exchange Following Young Fathers Data SourceTimescapes Archive Research DesignQualitative Longitudinal (4 waves) Qualitative Longitudinal (5 waves) Time Frame Sample8 low-income, mid life grandparents (including 3 grandfathers) 31 low-income teenage fathers MethodsIn-depth interviews, Life Histories, Relational maps, meetings with practitioners. In-depth interviews, participants observations (walking interviews), collaborative working with practitioners. InterviewersMix; early career, female academic, senior male academic Early Career, female academic

Methodological Strategy Stakeholder Ethics (Neale, 2013) – collaborative analysis with primary research teams 1.Familiarisation with the datasets and determining ‘fit’ 2. Data sharing workshops -Bornat et al (2008) -Irwin and Winterton (2012) 3. Qualitative Secondary Analysis -Thematic and Framework

Value of data sharing The workshops required the time commitment of about 2.5 days by primary research teams Continued familiarisation for secondary analyst and clarification of context of data production Identification of unexpected insights through comparison New substantive insights in relation to men, care, (grand)parenting in contexts characterised by constraint, Development of themes, within and then across

Stakeholder Ethics (Neale, 2013) – collaborative analysis with primary research teams 1.Familiarisation with the datasets and determining ‘fit’ 2. Data sharing workshops -Bornat et al (2008) -Irwin and Winterton (2012) 3. Qualitative Secondary Analysis -Thematic and Framework Methodological Strategy

The data Subsample of 10 (of a total of 31) teenage fathers (aged ) identified as living on a low-income in a northern city in England (FYF) Eight mid-life grandparents living on a low-income estate in the same northern city in England (IGE) – including voices of 3 grandfathers Question focused on what kinds of analysis are possible when working across two differently constituted datasets and what can we learn substantively

Framework grid: Victor Case data ThemePre-interviewWave 1 (2008)Waves 3&4 (2008) Wave 4 (2009) Care situationMarriage and son (described as a business deal). He meets Carolyn and becomes a resident step-father to 4 children. One daughter is more demanding than the others. Biological son welcome to visit any time. Becomes informal carer for (step) grandson Two step-children still resident. 3 foster children resident. Grandson no longer resident but still visits regularly EmploymentStable employment as a taxi driver. He leaves his job as a taxi driver when he re-partners because child maintenance would make his children with his new partner destitute. Foster carer

Framework grid: Jimmy Case data Theme Wave 1 (2011)Wave 2 (2011) Wave 3 (2012) Wave 4 (2013) Care situationHas a 1 month old son. He is dating the MOC but lives with his mother so has to visit his child when he can. The couple split time between their parents’ house. Only sees his son twice a week, because he has left home and has limited money to see his son. Lost access to his child and advised to see a solicitor. The judge decided he should see his son less. EmploymentPlans to go to college to study construction. Started college but not enjoying his course. UnemployedUnemployed but looking for work. RelationshipIn a relationship with MOC Separated from MOC

StudyParticipantPre- interview Wave 1Wave 2Wave 3Wave 4 IGEVictorResident father, married with a son until divorce. Non- resident birth father/Ste p- father/gra ndfather Non-resident birth father/Step- father/Kinship carer for grandson, Non-resident birth father/Step- father/Kinship carer for grandson, foster carer Regular babysitting (leisure/pleasu re grandparent) FYFJimmyWith MOC for 1-2 months Visits 1 month old son weekly Split time between parents’ house to see son. Sees son twice a week. Court decides he can’t see son often Framework Grid: Care situations (across cases/datasets)

Findings Care-giving is of significance to men across the life course – being ‘absent’ from one household does not absent men from care situations, Care situations and responsibilities can change very rapidly over time within and across low-income households, This happens across the life course because shifting care responsibilities in one generation often influence another generation, Care responsibilities can impact on employment choices and lack of resources can influence care situations, Separation and re-partnering are critical moments in processes relating to how care responsibilities are fulfilled and managed – management of finite resources (financial, emotional)

Activity 1 In this activity we will simulate a data-sharing workshop You have 2 extracts from transcripts from each of the studies and related meta-data. Take 5-10 minutes to read the extracts. Make notes as you go along. The key themes to think about are men and care (on a low- income) Share your initial thoughts with the group.

Some questions 1.What do these extracts tell you about men and care? 2.What issues emerge? 3.Are there any commonalities or differences between the generations? 4. What might they open up and allow by bringing them together? 5.Any issues or problems?

Key resource Qualitative Secondary Analysis and research design: reflections on a methodological framework for data re-use A Timescapes Working Paper cdn.com/files/2015/07/Working-Paper-QSA.pdf

Working across multiple qualitative longitudinal studies: lessons from a feasibility study looking at care and intimacy Susie Weller & Ros Edwards: University of Southampton Emma Davidson & Lynn Jamieson: University of Edinburgh

Project: Working across qualitative longitudinal studies: a feasibility study looking at care and intimacy Research Team: Emma Davidson, Ros Edwards, Lynn Jamieson, Susie Weller Aim: To investigate the possibilities of scaling-up complex qualitative longitudinal (QL) data, using archived QL projects as example: -Timescapes: An ESRC Qualitative Longitudinal Initiative Our project

An archaeological approach

The surface survey

The geophysical survey

Example of keyword clusters Help: Support OR Childcare OR Babysitter OR Help Finances: Money OR Paid OR Finances OR financially OR Resources OR Budget OR budgeting OR save

Leximancer output

Shovel test pits

Comparative in-depth readings 1 st focus – One case from each project – Multiple readings 2 nd focus – Outputs from keyword analysis to examine data on particular topic – Compared results to analysis in Nvivo

Deep excavations: next steps

Aim: To explore the use of different ‘geophysical survey’ tools in comparison to conventional case analysis to explore change and continuity. The data: Two sets of data from Siblings and Friends project: – 1. Extracts from interviews with Alisha, talking about her relationship with her sister. – 2. Outputs of analysis of interview extracts using Nvivo and Leximancer Instructions: – Split into pairs. Elect one person to study the interview extracts and one the computer assisted outputs. – On your own spend minutes studying the documents and noting any significant themes, concepts or reflections on the form and nature of the data. – You will then have 10 minutes to discuss your interpretations with your partner and compare what the aerial view with an in-depth reading. Activity 2: Using different secondary analytic strategies to capture change and continuity

Dr Emma Davidson, University of Edinburgh Dr Susie Weller, University of Southampton Become a friend of the project by subscribing to our website:

‘Big’ qualitative datasets increasingly available Necessitates a combination of interpretive and investigative techniques New opportunities but an evolving methodology Epistemological and ontological challenges –Which research paradigm does such data sit? – What do we mean by evidence? – How can we make ‘valid’ claims to knowledge? A new way of knowing?: area for further criticism and debate And more funding to explore further Closing reflections