Analyzing Qualitative and/or Quantitative Data
by Janet Salmons, PhD Research Community Manager for Sage Methodspace
Let’s walk through the stages of the research process.
In Q1 of 2023 we started by exploring how to define research questions and problems, and design a study. In Q2 we looked at ways to collect data. In Q3 we’ve been focusing on how to analyze and interpret data. Today’s researchers collect visual and aural data, images and media, text from individuals or massive collections from datasets, so the analytic stage requires careful thought, skills, and tools. Find the collection of posts, interviews, open-access articles, and instructional resources here! Use the code MSPACEQ423 for a 20% discount on books purchased from Sage through December 2023.
Qualitative Data Analysis
If you’ve spent any time in the world of qualitative research, you know it is gloriously, wonderfully messy. You’re usually swimming in a sea of interview transcripts, half-annotated PDFs, and those "aha!" moments scribbled on sticky notes that inevitably fall behind your desk. For a long time, it felt like our quantitative colleagues had all the flashy tools while we were left with highlighters and hope. That’s exactly why I’m so excited about the 4th edition of Qualitative Data Analysis with NVivo.
Interviews with this year's winners of Sage's 10-year-impact award, Elo Satu and Helvi Kyngäs.
Situational analysis invites researchers to explore relationships and patterns in the data by creating visual maps as part of the analytic process. Co-authors of the book on this analytic method presented a webinar - view it here.
Qualitative data analysis varies by methodology. Learn about approaches for phenomenological studies through this collection of open access articles.
Learn about qualitative data analysis approaches for narrative and diary research in these open access articles.
Ethnography involves the production of highly detailed accounts of how people in a social setting lead their lives, based on systematic and long-term observation of, and discussion with, those within the setting.
Qualitative data analysis varies by methodology. Discover diverse ways to analyze data for grounded theory studies in these open access articles.
Qualitative data analysis varies by methodology. Learn about approaches for action research in these open access articles.
While reflexivity is a concept quite familiar to qualitative researchers, the idea of ‘technological reflexivity’ may be less so. Find information about October 2023 events and articles.
How can you study digital culture and activism? Watch this interview with Dr. Lyndon Wray.
Look at the choices of video methods made by authors of four research articles.
This collection of open-access articles includes qualitative examples of analysis strategies to use with multimedia video data.
How do we understand and interpret visual or video data? See these open-access articles for ideas and examples.
Find a collection of open-access articles about analyzing and interpreting photos generated by participants using photovoice mmethods.
How do you analyze data in photovoice studies? Jean M. Breny, Shannon L. McMorrow offer an introduction.
The baby crying next door. Chaotic street life that permeates the apartment. Music. The tone of voices in the interview recording. Whether intentional or not, sometimes important data can be heard. How do we analyze and interpret aural data? These open-access articles offer some examples.
Learn what to do when you are faced with next steps after coding qualitative data.
How do you ensure that your analytic strategy fits the qualitative methodology and methods selected for the study? Watch this recorded presentation and learn from the explanations offered by Dr. Linda Bloomberg and Dr. Janet Boberg.
Qualitative data analysis can only get you so far - then you need to make sense of what you have found. Find open-access examples and guidance in this curated collection of articles.
Learn some important steps about using Quirkos software for qualitative data analysis.
This hands-on post introduces a tool you can use in the analytic stage of a qualitative study.
View this video for a series of short presentations about coding in qualitative research.
Charles Vanover, Paul Mihas, and Johnny Saldaña discuss their excellent book in this lively video interview.
This interview was a show-and-tell about analyzing online talk.
Are you thinking about whether to use CAQDAS, Computer Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS, to manage, code, and assist in the analysis of your qualitative data? Reviewing available software is a good first step, before you decide whether and how to use what technology. In this post, find resources about how to use NVivo - other software options will be considered in additional posts.
Qualitative researchers often collect large quantities of data that can include visuals or media, audio files or notes from interviews, text or artifacts. Some rely on software to organize, manage, and code data. This use of technology is described as CAQDAS, Computer Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS. Find resources about how to use CAQDAS in this post.
Dr. Helen Kara offers tips for the process of coding qualitative data.
Need to brush up your skills, find a book for a course or a student? Here are some options from Sage for researchers who want to analyze qualitative data.
Margaret Roller compiled collections of articles about qualitative data analysis into useful mini e-books available for open-access download.
Quantitative Data Analysis
As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality online learning, we are excited to announce a series of updates to our Sage Campus courses! These enhancements are designed to support academic success by providing practical resources and empowering learners at every stage of their academic journey.
Last month Sage hosted an exclusive webinar with the JASP founder, Eric-Jan Wagenmakers, and fellow JASP creator Johnny van Doorn. Based at the University of Amsterdam, these renowned experts introduced the world of teaching statistics using JASP.
Learn about options available in the dynamic landscape of emerging methodological extensions in the PLS-SEM field is the necessary condition analysis (NCA).
Find tips to help you share your research and numerical findings.
Dr. Stephen Gorard defines and explains randomness in a research context.
Mentor in Residence Stephen Gorard explains how researchers can think about predicting results.
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Equity Framework approach draws high-level insights from this body of work to inform equity in data analysis that can apply to groups of people who may face systemic barriers to CTE participation. Learn more in this two-part post!
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Equity Framework approach draws high-level insights from this body of work to inform equity in data analysis that can apply to groups of people who may face systemic barriers to CTE participation. This is part 2, find the link to part 1 and previous posts about the Equity Framework.
In an era of rampant misinformation and disinformation, what research can you trust? Dr. Stephen Gorard offers guidance!
Images contain information absent in text, and this extra information presents opportunities and challenges. It is an opportunity because one image can document variables with which text sources (newspaper articles, speeches or legislative documents) struggle or on datasets too large to feasibly code manually. Learn how to overcome the challenges.
Tips for dealing with missing data from Dr. Stephen Gorard, author of How to Make Sense of Statistics.
Learn more about standard deviation from a paper and presentation from Dr. Stephen Gorard.
This collection of open-access articles includes quantitative examples of analysis for video data.
Whether you call it ‘content analysis’, ‘textual data labeling’, ‘hand-coding’, or ‘tagging’, a lot more researchers and data science teams are starting up annotation projects these days. Learn how to avoid potential pitfalls.
Want to learn more about research with datasets? This curated collection of open-access articles can help you understand defining characteristics, and develop data literacy skills needed to work with large datasets and machine learning tools for managing Big Data sources.
Professor Julie Scott Jones discusses lessons learned from teaching quantitative research methods online.
After 20 years of teaching research and quantitative methods to students in Political Science in the US, UK, and the EU, Dr. Loveless has developed a teaching method that has resulted in greater student success in statistics in each passing year
Teaching or Guiding Researchers about How to Analyze and Interpret Data
Instructional tips for teaching quantitative data analysis.
In an era of rampant misinformation and disinformation, what research can you trust? Dr. Stephen Gorard offers guidance!
Tips on grading and marking to make it relevant and useful for students’ future research.
Tips on assessing a course to make it relevant and useful for students’ future research.
Don’t have funds for data analysis software? Use Excel! Learn how in this interview with Charlotte Brookfield.
What does it all mean? Analysis and interpretation of data are difficult practices to learn. These open-access articles from SAGE journals offer practical how-to steps for new researchers.
Professor Julie Scott Jones discusses lessons learned from teaching quantitative research methods online.
After 20 years of teaching research and quantitative methods to students in Political Science in the US, UK, and the EU, Dr. Loveless has developed a teaching method that has resulted in greater student success in statistics in each passing year
Find open-access instructional materials and articles about teaching how to use regression analysis methods.
Find open-access instructional materials from the course: Data Visualisation in Political Psychology at The University of Sheffield.
Learn about math skills that are essential for researchers.
Why does identity matter in the methods classroom?
Learn how inductive and deductive styles of reasoning are used to interpret qualitative research findings.