Slide 13.

Analysing Qualitative
Data
Dr Karen Dennis
(Dr Alireza Nazarian)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.2

Analysing Qualitative Data (1)

Definition

Qualitative data refers to all non-numeric data or data

that have not been quantified and can be a product of
all research strategies

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.3

Analysing Qualitative Data (2)

Distinctions Between Quantitative and

Qualitative Data

Table 13.1 Distinctions between quantitative and qualitative data

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.4

Preparing Data for Analysis

Key Issues

Transcribing qualitative data

Using electronic textual data including scanned

documents

The interactive nature of the process

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.5

Approaches to Qualitative Analysis

Main Approaches

The deductive approach

The inductive approach

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.6

Debate on using Deductive in

Qualitative Study
Yin (2003) suggests that, where you have made use of existing
theory to formulate your research question and objectives,
you may also use the theoretical propositions that helped you
do this as a means to devise a framework to help you to
organise and direct your data analysis. There is debate about
this approach as applied to qualitative analysis.
Bryman (1988:81) sums up the argument against it as follows:
The prior specification of a theory tends to be disfavoured because
of the possibility of introducing a premature closure on the issues to
be investigated, as well as the possibility of the theoretical
constructs departing excessively from the views of participants in a
social setting.

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.7

Inductive
The alternative to the deductive approach is to
start to collect data and then explore them to
see which themes or issues to follow up and
concentrate on (e.g. Glaser and Strauss 1967;
Schatzman and Strauss 1973; Strauss and Corbin
2008; Yin 2003).

Yin (2003): believes that this inductive approach

may be a difficult strategy to follow and may
not lead to success for someone who is an
inexperienced researcher

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.8

Types of Qualitative Analysis Process

(1)
Main Types

Summarising (condensation) of meanings

Categorising (grouping) of meanings

Structuring (ordering of meanings using narrative

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.9

Types of Qualitative Analysis Process

(2)

Dimensions of Qualitative Analysis

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 13.1 Dimensions of qualitative analysis

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.10

Categorising Data
Points to Consider
Deriving categories

Unitising data

Recognising relationships and developing categories

Developing testable propositions

Qualifying your qualitative data

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.11

Analytical Aids

Types of Analytical Aids

Interim summaries

Self-memos

Researchers diary

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.12

Deductively Based Analytical Procedures

Procedures Applicable to Qualitative

Analysis
Pattern matching: involves predicting a pattern of
outcomes based on theoretical propositions to explain
what you expect to find
a set of dependent variables
independent variable
Explanation building: Yin (2003) involves an
attempt to build an explanation while collecting data
and analysing them, rather than testing a predicted
explanation as set out above.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.13

Inductively Based Analytical Procedures

Procedures Applicable to Qualitative Analysis

Data display and analysis

Template analysis
Analytic induction
Grounded theory open, axial and selected coding
Discourse analysis
Narrative analysis

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.14

Using CAQDAS for Qualitative Analysis (1)

Summary of Functions
Structure of work
Closeness to data and interactivity
Explore the data
Code and retrieve
Project management and data organisation
Searching and interrogating
Writing memos, comments and note
Output

Lewins and Silver (2006)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.15

Using CAQDAS for Qualitative Analysis

(2)

Checklist Box 13.17

Complete the Checklist in Box 13.17

to help you choose a CAQDAS package

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.16

Summary: Chapter 13

Qualitative data result from the collection of non-

standardised data that require classification and
are analysed through use of conceptualisation.

Qualitative analysis can involve summarising,

categorising and structuring data.

The process of data analysis and collection are

necessarily interactive.

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.17

Summary: Chapter 13

Aids to analysis include interim summaries, self-

memos and maintaining a researcher diary.

Qualitative analysis procedures can be related to

using either a deductive or inductive approach.

Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis

software (CAQDAS) can help with project
management and data organisation.

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009