Qualitative Analysis

Qualitative Analysis at a Glance

Qualitative analysis involves coding textually rich data such as interview/focus group transcripts and real-life documentation. The majority of qualitative analyses conducted for doctoral research involves a thematic analysis. Although there are many frameworks for conducting thematic analysis, the gist involves breaking your data into units of meanings called "codes." These codes are then grouped together to form themes, which you will use to answer your research questions. Two of the most commonly used thematic analysis frameworks are:

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• Braun & Clarke's (2006) six-step method

• Johnny Saldaña's coding manual (which involves 21 types of first-cycle coding and 6 types of second-cycle coding)

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Phenomenological studies also implement coding in their analysis, but in many frameworks (such as the Modified van Kaam method) coding is called "horizontalization." A common mistake doctoral candidates conducting a phenomenological study make is to propose a more general thematic analysis procedure for a phenomenological study. 

Although it is possible to conduct a thematic analysis doing hand coding (i.e., keeping track of the codes in Excel or, even more old-fashioned, cutting out pieces of the interview transcripts), it is much easier to utilize a coding software such as NVivo (our recommended software), Atlas.ti, or MaxQDA (Grand Canyon's preferred software).   

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How will Dissertation Demystified help me?

Dissertation Demystified offers regular monthly seminars and workshops on coding and conducting thematic analysis. We also offer semesterly workshops on more difficult qualitative analysis methods such as content analysis, discourse analysis, phenomenological analysis, and the Constant Comparative Method (used in Grounded Theory studies). 

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We also offer regular seminars on how to use qualitative coding softwares such as NVivo, Atlas.ti, and MaxQDA. Weekly office hours give you the opportunity to review your coding and themes with our coaches and discuss ways to refine them and interpret them.