Term
Qualitative Analysis Chapter:
THEMES |
|
Definition
An idea that occurs again and again in a discussion or piece of text, and which expresses a complete, meaningful finding.
Your analysis of your focus group data is a THEMATIC analysis; your looking for themes in what people said . |
|
|
Term
Qualitative Analysis Chapter:
Codes |
|
Definition
Codes: Tags or labels for assigning units of meaning to the data collected during a study.
* This should represent categories/topics that emerge from the data
*Usually attached to chunks of text
*used to retrieve and organize chunks of texts
*"Data reduction:" takes huge, overwhelming amount of qualitative data and dissects into pieces that can be handled more easily.
*Codes do not necessarily equal themes. Often, you have to combine two or more codes together to create themes: and sometimes (though less often) you might split single code into two or more different themes.
Note this is different from numeric codes used in your survey, which are meaningless numbers used to represent nominal response options. Codesin qualitative analysis have meaning. |
|
|
Term
| Qualitative Analysis Chapter: Basic steps to analyze your focus group data |
|
Definition
1)Transcribe audio written text (transcript).
2.)Use your focus group guide to generate a preliminary list of major categories/topics that were covered in the focus group (note: these are not yet necessarily themes, which must express a more complete, meaningful finding).
Express the categories as simple words or phrases. These are the “codes” you’ll use in analysis.
e.g., DRNKBEHAVS (“drinking behaviors”), DEFNSAFSEX (“definitions of safer sex”), ATTSRE:DIET (“attitudes about dieting”).
If you discover minor categories within major categories, name them this way with subcodes: MAJORCATEGORY_Minor Category 1, MAJORCATEGORY_Minor Category 2 (e.g., DRNKBEHAVS_Controlled, DRNKBEHAVS_Binge)
3.)Read your transcript several times.
4.)Add to your list of codes any additional categories you see emerging.
5.)Organize your codes into a codebook in outline form that shows the hierarchy of your codes (i.e., some codes are specific, constituent parts of broader, more general /major codes)
6)Upload the transcript to ATLAS.ti. |
|
|
Term
| Qualitative Analysis Chapter:Basic steps to analyze your focus group data (2) |
|
Definition
7. Assign the codes you created to chunks of text in your transcript using ATLAS.ti.
8. Use the ATLAS.ti “Query” function to extract all the chunks of text assigned to specific codes.
9. Compare codes (i.e., categories); discover patterns and connections among them.
10. Combine (or, rarely, split) codes as appropriate to form themes.
Express the themes as complete phrases/clauses. -e.g., “Drinking is used to lower inhibitions”, “‘Young adults’ definitions of ‘safer sex’ vary dramatically”, “Attitudes about dieting are informed mainly by parents”
Typically, you will end up with fewer themes than your number of codes.
11. Write up mini-summaries of each theme across the data.
12. Determine whether your data support or refute your hypothesis. |
|
|
Term
| Qualitative Analysis Chapter:How to transcribe |
|
Definition
Make your transcript verbatim –i.e., every word, precisely as spoken.
Do not abbreviate, summarize, change the wording, or cut anything out.
Use headers to indicate who is speaking –e.g., Moderator 1: Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah…?
Matthew: Shoobie doobie doo, shoobie doobie doo…
Make it single-space, and leave a single blank space (hard return) every time the speaker changes.
See Mock focus group transcript on the course Blackboard site for an example: Supplemental Materials folder > Focus Group & ATLAS.ti. |
|
|
Term
| Qualitative Analysis Chapter:Intro. to ATLAS.ti |
|
Definition
What is ATLAS.ti?
A qualitative data analysis software package used for text, graphical, audio, and video data.
You will use ATLAS.ti to analyze your focus group data.
KHS 272: ATLAS.ti is currently loaded onto several computers (approximately 18 terminals).
Check to see if the terminal you’re using has ATLAS.ti (under “Scientific Software,” under “All Programs”- accessible from Start menu.) |
|
|
Term
| Qualitative Analysis Chapter: Preparing focus group data for analysis |
|
Definition
1.)Transcribe the audio recording of your focus group as an MS Word document (.doc).
Keep this in case you need it at some point, but you won’t use it directly in the analysis.
2.)Re-save the MS Word document as a Rich Text File (.rtf).
Just use “Save as…” and select “Rich Text File” from the drop-down menu for file type.
This is the document you will analyze using ATLAS.ti.
3.)For the next several steps, see Introduction to ATLAS.ti & How to upload your transcript on the course Blackboard site: Supplemental Materials folder Focus Group & ATLAS.ti. |
|
|
Term
| Qualitative Analysis Chapter:Intro. to SPSS for Quantitative Analysis |
|
Definition
What is SPSS?
A statistical software package.
Used for analyzing quantitative data.
The best places to use SPSS
KHS 272 lab during open lab hours (usually early a.m. to early afternoon)
McCarthy Hall lab (Basement)
Pollack Library (Basement) |
|
|
Term
| Qualitative Analysis Chapter: Using SPSS to enter survey data |
|
Definition
If you are doing an online/electronic survey, refer to the documentation/Help associated with that website/software. If you decide to use Survey Gizmo, use “Using Survey Gizmo” to guide you in transferring your online survey data into SPSS. However, if this fails for some reason and you need to enter your data by hand…
-Refer to document “Introduction to SPSS & How to Enter Your Survey Data” on the course Blackboard site (Supplemental Materials folder Survey & SPSS)
*Basic steps:
-Open SPSS
-Open SPSS Data Editor
-Name your variables
-Enter variable labels (You will have to do this, even after the transfer from an online/electronic survey.)
Explains what the name of your variable means –what your variable is.
e.g., GENDER = The gender of participant; V13 = Whether participant has ever been in fight.
Enter value labels (You should have assigned value labels before launching your electronic/online survey. If you forgot, or the labels did not transfer for some reason, you’ll need to do this after the transfer from the online survey.)
Explains what the numbers you assigned to response options in your questionnaire actually mean.
e.g., 1=Male, 2=Female; 0=Never been in fight, 1=Has ever been in fight; 0=never; 1=rarely; 2=sometimes; 3=often; 4=always
Not necessary for variables that naturally occur as numbers (e.g., age).
Enter numeric data for each participant on each variable. |
|
|
