1. Qualitative Analysis Information Studies Division Research Workshop Elisabeth Logan

2. What is Qualitative Research? Interpretation of the “social” world. - How Understood - How Experienced - How Environments are Produced Addresses issues not well analysed through statistical techniques - How, not what or how much*

3. Qualitative Data Collection Data generation flexible & from real world context. - Rich - Contextual - Detailed Participant Observation In-depth Interviews*

4. Qualitative Data Analysis Observations, transcripts, videos of a process. - Holistic, descriptive, and explanatory - Some quantification, but statistical analysis not central - Aims for an understanding of human behavior in a given context

5. Qualitative Studies: Example I How skilled and novice searchers navigate in a commercial electronic database. - Task assignment - Interview - “Think aloud” - Observation - Recording - Interactions - Post-search Interviews

6. Study Example I Data Analysis - Navigation process - Description of activities - “Think aloud” statements - Problem areas - Expressed degree of satisfaction - Results evaluation

7. Study Example II Inter-library cooperation among a group of small town libraries - In-depth interviews with librarians and staff - Planned question format - Open-ended conversations - Tape recording - Assessment of current status of cooperation

8. Study Example II Data Analysis - Detailed analysis of transcripts - Categories identified and coded - Interpretation of transcribed results - Evaluated in light of stated interest in cooperative activities - Software available for identification & coding

9. Qualitative Research Processes Different from quantitative research - Planning and Designing - Sampling and Selecting - Sorting and Organizing Data - Analyzing and Explaining

10. Planning and Designing 1. What is the nature of the social reality I want to investigate? - Fundamentally different from determining “A Topic” - Broader concept that invites alternate points of view (people, interactions, processes, patterns, cultures) 2. What would provide evidence of these realities? - Nature of evidence; not how to collect it - How social phenomena can be known or demonstrated *

11. Planning and Designing 3. What is my targeted area of interest? - Search behavior; interlibrary cooperation attitudes 4. What are my research questions? - What is the intellectual puzzle I want to explain ? 5. What do I hope to obtain from this research? - A degree or contribution to fundamental knowledge?

12. Selecting and Sampling 1. Qualitative Analysis does not generally use statistical sampling -Theoretical sampling or purposive sampling - Builds in characteristics to help you develop and test your theory (explanations) - Samples chosen on the basis of your research question - Objectivity defended in final outcome *

13. Selecting and Sampling 2. Some practical considerations - Sample size - Samples for social comparisons - Defining “key” comparisons - Sampling frames not appropriate or non- existent - Availability - Feasibility: money and time*

14. Data Organization 1. Recognizing and reading the data! - Many ways to do this: chronological, thematic, etc - What to include as “data” - Literal interpretation or interpretive or reflexive (includes your role)

15. Data Organization 2. Determining indexing categories : - Iteration is crucial in qualitative data analysis - Categories appropriate and consistent (NU*DIST available in our lab) 3. Using non-cross sectional organization - identify segments for specialized analysis - appropriate for studying units separately

16. Explanations and Data Analyses 1. What Explanations and Analyses can be built from the data? - Comparisons among key components - Tracing developments - Descriptive explanations - Predictive explanations - Theorizing

17. Explanations and Data Analyses 2. Does the data and data analysis support the explanations? - Comparisons need data on the key components - Developments need data on stages, etc - Descriptive explanations need credible factors and support data - Predictions are very tricky from any analysis - “Grounded theory” produced from qualitative analysis.

18. Qualitative Research: Summary Natural setting the source of data; researcher is the instrument Research is descriptive & anecdotal Concerned with “process” not product Inductive analysis Meaning or “sense-making” important Masses of data are usually obtained

19. Considerations: Qualitative Analysis How is this different from quantitative research? Must they be separate? Is this research really “scientific”? Can findings be generalized? What about researcher bias? What IS the goal of qualitative research?