ANALYZING AND

INTERPRETING
QUALITATIVE DATA
Universidad Distrital – 2018
Creswell,J. (2004). Research design qualitative, quantitative
and mixed methods. Pearson: Boston
O E D R I V
 3. Describe
1. Prepare and 2. Explore and
findings and
organize data code
forming themes

6. Validate 5. Interpret 4. Represent

accuracy of meaning of and report
findings findings findings
 The process is…

Iterative
Inductive Simultaneous (back and
forth)

Reading
Eclectic Interpretive
several times
 1. Organize the data

Large amounts of information: e.g. 30 mins interview-20 pages/ 1 hour of tape – 4

hours transcribing
Matrix; by type; by participants, etc
Transcriptions: include protocols; use conventions; if analyzed by hand, leave
margins on each side of document; use color coding
Software programs to store, organize, assign codes: atlas.ti; hyperResearch;
Maxqda; Nvivo. Doesn’t anaylse itself.
Ethical issues???
Dear Colleague,

I am currently undertaking a research project about the tensions generated by requirements

such as taking international language tests and publishing academic articles to get a teaching
position.

I will appreciate you help me answer the following questions. Write down as many ideas as you
want to mention in order to explain your thoughts and/or experiences.

I will be looking forward to receiving your prompt response.

Have you been requested to demonstrate your language proficiency through international
tests? If so, tell us your personal experience. If you have not, what is your opinion about this
practice?
Have you been requested to publish academic articles in indexed journals to get a teaching
position? If so, tell us your personal experience. If you have not, what is your opinion about this
practice?

CONSENT STATEMENT: By filling in this survey, I declare that the content of this document is for
research purposes and I agree to participate. I know that my personal information will be kept
confidential.
Research question:
• What do EFL colombian teachers’ perceptions on
international exams and academic production
requirements tell us about their profesional identity
construction?
Research objective:
• To analyze EFL colombian teachers’ profesional
identity construction based on their perceptions
about international exams and academic
production requirements to get job positions.
 2. Explore & Code

Explore general sense of data

Code the data

Pick one document

List codes and group them

Read the rest of the data

Get themes/categories
 2. Explore & Code

CODING THEORY (Grounded theory, Corbin &

Strauss, 2007) PIECE OF ADVICE:
Open coding: patterns HAVE A LOG
Meaning units &
Axial coding: categories categories

Selective coding: core category(ies)

 Ethnograpy

Phenomenological DATA Narrative

ANALYSIS
&
FINDINGS What is the
relationship between
Case Study Action Research
the Research Approach
of a study and the data
analysis?
Let’s see a sample of
coding…
 3. Describe

It consists of answering the major research

questions and forming in-depth
understanding of the central pheomenon
through descriptions or thematic
development.
 3. Describe
1. You might find:
• Ordinary Categories/Themes
• Unexpected Categories/Themes
• Hard to classify Categories/Themes
• Major & minor Categories/Themes
2. Describe each Theme/Category from different perspectives & instruments
3. Might have contrary evidence
4. Saturation: point where no new information can be added to your list of
Themes/Cateogories.