WORKSHOP

ON DATA GATHERING
AND ANALYSIS IN
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Dr. Amy M. Bonotan

AEF 6003
1st Semester, 2017-2018
Objectives: At the end of the session, the
doctoral students would have
1. Experienced ‘actual’ data gathering in Qualitative Research –
getting the informed consent of the participants, conducting of in-
depth interview and audio-recording
2. Analyzed the data using Collaizi’s method:
- listening to the interview 4-5 times
- transcribing of the interview
- analyzing data by capturing significant statements (with
reference to the problems/subproblems), formulated meanings,
categories/themes, emerging themes
- writing of the “Findings” (audit trail)
- writing the Exhaustive/Thick/Rich description of the lived
experience/ phenomenon
3. Express appreciation for this mode of generating new knowledge
Recall: Phenomenology
• Phenomenology - study of structures of consciousness as
experienced from the first person perspective.
• Purpose – to describe experiences as they are lived;
to capture the “lived experiences” of participants;
what experiences of people are like and the meaning for
them of the phenomenon

• Two types of Phenomenology:

1. descriptive (Husserlian)
2. Interpretive (Heideggerian)
Descriptive Phenomenology
• What is the essence of this phenomenon as experienced
by these people?
• What is the meaning of the phenomenon to those who
experience it?

• Bracketing/Epoche
• Identifying and holding in abeyance preconceived beliefs
and opinions about the phenomenon under study
• To confront the data in pure form, without bias
• Is done to achieve transcendental subjectivity – not
allowing biases and preconceptions to interfere with the
object of study by constantly assessing them (Lopez &
Willis, 2004)
 Bracketing

• How is this done?

• Reflexive journal, discussion, interview
ex. What are my presuppositions about black university
students (Fly in the Buttermilk)
Data Gathering
• In-depth interviews
• Ethical considerations
• Length of time (20-30 minutes)
• Relatively private and quiet place
 Working Lived Experiences of
Title Graduate Students of
Cebu Normal University: Towards
Enhanced Support Programs
Main Objective: To capture the lived experiences of doctoral
students in Cebu Normal University, SY 2017-2018
Specific Questions:
1. What are the highlights of the experiences of the doctoral
students: a) from Cebu City & Province
b) from non-Cebu province
2. What are the benefits in studying in CNU?
3. What are the challenges they are facing?
4. How do they cope with these challenges?
5. What are their recommendations for CNU to improve its student
support services?
6. What for them is the meaning of these experiences?
Main Objective: To capture the lived experiences of doctoral
students in Cebu Normal University, SY 2017-2018
Specific Questions:
1. What are the highlights of the
experiences of the doctoral
students:
a) from Cebu City & Province
b) from non-Cebu province
2. What are the benefits in studying in
CNU?
3. What are the challenges they are
facing?
4. How do they cope with these
challenges?
5. What are their recommendations
for CNU to improve its student
support services?
6. What for them is the meaning of
these experiences?
Interview Guide Questions:
1. Kindly share a story/stories that
best describe/s your experiences
as doctoral student of Cebu
Normal University whose
residence is __________.
2. What are some benefits that you get
from studying in CNU?
3. What are some struggles, problems
or challenges you have
encountered?
4. How did you handle or cope with
them?
5. What are some recommendations
that you want to give to CNU to
improve its support services??
6. What for you is the meaning of all
these experiences?
Examples of Interview Questions
• Can you kindly share a story which best describes your
experience as a ‘working student’?
• What is the meaning of being ‘a working student’ to you?

Or

Can you kindly relate what you experienced/happened to

you on that night when the 2 ships (m/v Thomas Aquinas
and Sulpicio Ship) collided last ____?
What is the meaning of this experience to you?
Equipment
• voice recorder
• Batteries
• Pen and paper
• Consent form
• Demographic collection form/ profile sheet (age, sex,
educational background, profession, civil status, address,
etc)
Reminders
• Although there are many qualitative data analysis
computer programs available on the market today, like
NVIVO, these software essentially aid to sort and
organize data, YET NOT capable of the intellectual and
conceptualizing processes required to transform data into
meaningful findings (Thorne)
Colaizzi’s Method of Data Analysis

• “… research procedures of analysis that I employed

should be viewed only as typical, and are by no means

definitive; furthermore, they usually develop with much
overlapping among them, so that both the listed
procedures and sequences should be viewed flexibly and
freely by the researcher, so that depending upon his
approach and the phenomenon, he can modify them in
whatever ways seem appropriate.” (Collaizi, 1978)
Step 1
*Listen to the recorded tapes several times before you
transcribe them
• Transcribe within 24-48 hours
• Translate to English and have the translation validated
Read all the subject’s descriptions (called protocols) in
order to acquire feeling for them, making sense out of
them.
 Format of the Transcription
Verbatim English Significant Formulate Themes Cluster
Translation Statements d Themes
(SS) Meanings
(FM)

R: Good
morning,
Sir. ..
Salamat sa
…
(rationale,
confirm
informed
consent
P1
Step 2
• Extract from the protocols phrases or sentences that
directly pertain to the investigated phenomenon. These
are called significant statements (SS)
• Ex. Verbatim: “Tungod kay wala man gyud ko’y trabaho,
wala ko’y trabaho mao nga ako ning nabuhat, makaulaw
man gud nang mangayo”

• English Translation: “It’s because I was jobless, I did not

have a job that is why I just did this, it is shameful to ask
(from others)
Step 3
• Try to spell out the meaning of each significant statement. This
is known as formulated meanings (FM).
• This is precarious leap.
• Never sever all connections with the original protocol
• “…researcher must NOT go beyond what is given in the
original data and at the same time, stay with it. He must not
formulate meanings with no connection with the data.
• Data should ‘speak for itself/themselves’
• Ex. “It was as if the characters in the novel were purposely
dredging up the most personal of my philosophical
beliefs.”
• FM: The book’s different characters reflect the different
dimensions of the self, or the different selves of the
subject.
• FM: Subject’s tendency to identify with book’s characters
suggests weak-ego boundaries (Right of Wrong? Why?)
Participant 1
• SS 1: “It’s because I was jobless, I did not have a job that
is why I just did this. It is shameful to ask (from others).
• FM 1: The participant was jobless so he went into
prostitution.
• FM 2: The participant went into prostitution because he
was ashamed to ask money from others.
• SS 2: “I already stopped one week ago Ma’am…”
• FM 3: The participant 1 has already stopped prostitution
for one week now.
Step 4
• Repeat the above for each protocol.
• Organize the formulated meanings into themes
• Example:
• Theme 1: Meeting financial needs
• What are the FMs under this?
• FM 1: The participant was jobless so he went into prostitution
• FM 2: The participant went into prostitution since he was
ashamed to ask money from others
• Organize the FMs into cluster of themes (theme clusters)
• Refer these clusters back to the original protocols to validate
them
• Note discrepancies among or between clusters, without
ignoring data which do not fit
Example: Theme Cluster: Struggle
• Webster Dictionary (2001) defines struggle as ‘to contend
vigorously with an adverse condition or to contend
resolutely with a problem.
• The 11 themes comprising this theme cluster are:
• Theme 1: meeting financial and social needs
• Theme _: Wanting to get out of prostitution and yet still
continuing it at times.
• Theme _: Keeping the practice secret
• Theme _: desiring for a change
Step 5-6
• Integration of results –themes, cluster themes and rich/
thick/ exhaustive description (Interesting narrative)
• This has to be written as clearly as possible. To do this,
the theme clusters and themes are integrated to form the
description. The formulated meanings, significant
statements and original descriptions are also re-read
 EXAMPLE: THE FLY IN THE BUTTERMILK

THEMES EXHAUSTIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE

1. “It Happens Every Day”:
Unfairness/Sabotage/
2. Condescension
3. “You Have to Initiate the
Conversation”: Isolation and
Connection
4. “They seem the Same; I’m The
One Who’s Different”
5. “I have to Prove I’m worthy To Be the only black student in a class. Life is full of
Here”
6. “Sometimes I’m Not Even
Here/sometimes I have to
Represent all Black Students”:
Invisibility and Supervisibility
PHENOMENON
Unfairness, sabotage and condescension are
everyday occurrences in the white world in which I
live at the university. In order to connect with
students, faculty. Administrators, and others on
and around campus I must be the one to initiate
the interaction, and I must also prove I am worthy
as a student or friend. I am continuously made
aware of how different I am, especially when I am
opposites: I feel as if I am seen as the same as
other blacks by many whites, yet I often feel
different from other black students. Perhaps the
most common experience I have is one of
extremes: Either I am invisible or I am its opposite
Step 7 Validation of Findings
• Have the participants verify if the thematic clusters are
descriptive of their experiences by returning to the
participants and asking them to corroborate or confirm the
accuracy of the descriptive results (exhaustive description
in Cebuano) with their actual experience
• Ex. Validation Instrument
• Participant ___
• Do you find the attached description accurate or
appropriate of the situation you are in?
• Sumala sa imong nabasa, iksakto ba ang paghulagway
sa inyong kasinatin o situasyon? Yes ____ No ____
• Do you have anything to add? If so, kindly tell me.
• Aduna ba kay ikadugang? Kun oo, palihug, istoryahi ko.
 Practice Activity
• Choose a topic appropriate for a qualitative study
• Expected Output:
• Accomplish the data in the following format given:
• Verbatim, English Translation, Significant Statements (SS),
Formulated Meanings (FM), Theme, Cluster Themes,
Exhaustive Description
FORMAT

Verbatim English Significant Formulated Themes Cluster Themes

Translation Statements (SS) Meanings (FM)
 Acknowledgements
• Evalyn E. Abalos, RN, Ph.D. , Silliman University,
• Cebu Normal University

Thank you very Much!