1. Bridging the Quantitative-Qualitative Gap: The Process for Converting Interview Data to Social Network Data
WILLIE L. MCKETHER
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
The University of Toledo
JULIA GLUESING
Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Wayne State University
KENNETH RIOPELLE
Prepared for: 2007 SUNBELT XXVII International Sunbelt Social Network Conference 1-6 May, 2007, Corfu, Greece

2. Agenda The Process At-a-Glance Highlight the 5-Step Process
Implications for Researchers
Questions and Answers

3. Interview Data to Social Network Data

4. At-a-Glance: the Five Steps1. 3. 4. 5.
MulitNet 2.

5. Step 1: Word Create a separate file for each interview
Transcribe interviews
Edit text
Save files as Rich Text Format (.rtf)
Yields: Interviews ready for Atlas.ti Coding

6. Step 2: Atlas.ti Assign interviews (.rtf) as Primary Documents
Create Node Codes for people, places etc. Format: N_Last_First_ID
Create Link Codes for relations Format: L_Link_Relation_ID
Select quotation: Apply Node and Link Code

7. Step 3: SPSS Export to SPSS Extras | Export to | SPSS
Modify SPSS syntax file with:
Insert IF statements to recode PD #s to ID1s
Insert IF statements to recode SPSS “K variables” to ID2s
Save out file with select variables in Excel format
Yields: Excel Link File
ID1 ID2 Relation1 Relation 2 … Relation n

8. Step 4: Excel Modify SPSS generated Excel file
Insert “Begin Data” statement
Add Link Variable Labels
Save file as Comma Separated Variable (.csv)
Make sure MultiNet files have correct file names: Node and Link File:
Nod_name.csv, Lin_name.csv
Yields: MultiNet Node and Link Files

9. Step 5: MultiNet (Or other Social Network Software)
Read in Nod.csv and Lin.csv files
Analyze using Social Network Software
Etc.

11. Implications for Researchers
Bridge the Qualitative-Quantitative Gap
Robust, reusable process
Explore interview data from network perspective with social network software tools and methods

12. Demo of steps on CD includes:
Five sample interviews (Word files in (.rtf) format)
An Atlas.ti HU file (.hpr5) with the interviews coded
A SPSS Syntax with recode statements
MultiNet Node and Link Excel “.csv” files
Today’s PowerPoint Presentation
A Podcast of this presentation
The 22-page paper describing the process in detail

13. Questions?