!"#$%&'( *# +,-.# /%01"0-.

#$% 2%$3#"4"567
8,.4*'.'*9% :#.46(*(

!"#$
&'#()$#$)*+ #,#(-.). $/)+. $0 1#2+ 1+#,),3 #40'$ $"+ 5'#()$#$)*+ 6#$# 4#.+6 0, 7#$$+/,.8

CuallLaLlve analysls lnvolves quallLaLlve measures, whlch are noL measurable numerlcally,
lnsLead of quanLlLaLlve measures, whlch are numerlcally measurable.

Lxamples of quallLaLlve daLa lnclude:
1exLual daLa ex: Survey daLa (Lo open-ended quesLlons) or wrlLLen works
lmages and drawlngs ex: phoLos of someone dolng someLhlng
vldeo recordlngs of evenLs or speech
Audlo recordlngs of evenLs or speech
Technology affordances for data (e.g. tweets, webpages, blog posts, geo-location data)

90:$;#/+ <00(. = <+>",0(03)+.
!usL as word processlng programs supporL wrlLlng buL do noL maglcally Lransform Lhe user lnLo
a good wrlLer, CuA sofLware programs supporL quallLaLlve research, buL sLlll requlre knowledge
and sklll on Lhe parL of Lhe user Lo produce good quallLaLlve research" (CllberL, !ackson, &
Cregorlo, 2014).

Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDAS or QDA software) supports qualitative
research
o "#$ NVIVO

Tools for collection of data
o such as audio or video recorders
o presentation of findings such as presentation or modeling software
o technology affordances for data (e.g. tweets, webpages, blog posts, geo-location
data)

!"- ? !"+,

useful lf your Pl lnlLlaLlves lnvolve speclfled LargeL lmprovemenLs ln quallLaLlve Lhlngs,
noL [usL quanLlLaLlve lmprovemenLs
useful for gaLherlng and analyzlng daLa ln order Lo make sense ouL of quanLlLaLlve daLa
(Lo Lry answerlng why ls Lhls happenlng?")

@,#(-.). A+$"06.
[1]he mosL common quesLlon from novlces regardlng Lhe use of sofLware ln quallLaLlve
research ls whlch program should l use?" when Lhey would be beLLer served by asklng whaL
analyLlcal Lasks wlll l be engaged ln, and whaL are Lhe dlfferenL ways l can leverage Lechnology
Lo do Lhem well?" (CllberL, !ackson, & Cregorlo, 2014).

ulfferenL approaches Lo quallLaLlve analysls are shaped by Lhe LheoreLlcal approaches of Lhe
researcher and hls or her communlLy of pracLlce, as well as Lhe characLerlsLlcs of Lhe research
conLexL and seLLlng" CllberL, !ackson, & Cregorlo, 2014).

Some complex analyLlcal Lasks or meLhods ln quallLaLlve research lnclude:
Codlng / grounded Lheory / LhemaLlc analysls: (noL compuLer programmlng) use of
lnLerpreLaLlon and generaLlon of codes based on Lhe deLalls on Lhe daLa whlch can
be used Lo deLecL paLLerns or speclflc meanlngs
eLhnography: capLurlng Lhe soclal meanlngs and ordlnary acLlvlLles of a culLure
Lhrough ongolng daLa collecLlon ln auLhenLlc or unlmpalred seLLlngs and analysls of
Lhls daLa (depends on daLa klnd and complexlLy)
phenomenology: alms Lo collecL, analyze and descrlbe llved experlences of
someLhlng ln ways LhaL flL Lhe naLure of Lhe daLa lLself

Some analyLlcal Lasks common Lo all quallLaLlve meLhods:
1. B/3#,)C),3 $"+ 6#$#: noL [usL mechanlcal managemenL of unsLrucLured quallLaLlve
daLa, buL also plannlng for how lL wlll be analyzed wlLhln a framework (deducLlvely,
lnducLlvely, abducLlvely, or reLroducLlvely)
2. DE7(0/),3 $"+ 6#$#: becomlng famlllar wlLh Lhe daLa (llsLenlng, waLchlng, readlng lL)
and maklng commenLs on lL
3. F,$+/7/+$),3 #,6 /+:(+>$),3: represenLlng lL ln dlfferenL ways Lo make meanlng
abouL lL
4. F,$+3/#$),3 $"+ 6#$#: connecLlng lL Lo oLher knowledge, sLudles, comparlsons or
sources of daLa

ueLermlnaLlons of whlch meLhods Lo use should hlnge on Lhe complexlLy of Lhe sLudy:
(See flgure below)

;*5,0% <= 23*( *( . ($0%%#(3"' "1 ;*5 <>=< *# ?*4@%0'A B.$C("# D ?0%5"0*"A EF<G=

G+.0'/>+.
Lxamples of quallLaLlve meLhods Lo analyze healLhcare quallLy lmprovemenL efforLs:
hLLp://lnLqhc.oxford[ournals.org/conLenL/14/4/329.full?3l
hLLp://www.ncbl.nlm.nlh.gov/pubmed/17286623
hLLp://www.ncbl.nlm.nlh.gov/pubmed/19289649 (mlx qual and quanL meLhods)

G+:+/+,>+.

Gilbert, L. S., Jackson, K., & di Gregorio, S. (2014). Tools for Analyzing Qualitative Data: The
History and Relevance of Qualitative Data Analysis Software. In Handbook of Research
on Educational Communications and Technology (pp. 221-236). Springer New York.