Ethnograph 11 Jul07

Qualitative research data collection

Data collection of qualitative research :– Field notes– Observation– Interviews– Audio/Video recordings– Journal notes, memos– Diaries

Qualitative research data analysis

Stages of data analysis- Coding - Grouping into clusters, groups, patterns- Establishing relationship

- Making speculative inferences- Summarizing- Seeking negative cases- Theory generation

Where Ethnograph

V5.0 can help

Examples of a interview report with handwritten codes

• There are a lot of remarks/code made by researcher

• Sometimes the data (interviews) maybe in hundreds, difficult for researchers to analyze if not organized systematically (e.g. a trend is echoed by many subjects)

Introduction of a computer based research tool

What is Ethnograph v5.0 ?

A kind of Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) software

helps researcher to compile, organize and manipulate data

facilitates researcher analytic process

Several steps for Data Entry

Step 1 Creating projectsStep 2 Entering Qualitative Data (manually)Step 3 Importing Qualitative Data (from

outside sources)Step 4 Coding the data Step 5 Edit the code definition and code

family treeStep 6 Applying the code for other data files

1. Creating projects

Project : is a list of data files that you want to treat as a group

Child project : is entirely option;

To create a project (1 min)

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session3/chpt1.wmv

2. Entering qualitative data (e.g. interviews)

the text editor allows researcher to type in text manually.

It also automatically imports, numbers and adds the data file to the project.

To create a data file using the Ethnograph Editor (1 min 30 sec)

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session3/chpt2.wmv

3. Entering qualitative data (cont’d)

To create a data file using the Word Processor (e.g. MS-word) (2 mins)

another method is to import from frequently used sources, e.g. ms-word files the software can re-format it to suit Ethnograph’s use

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session3/chpt3.wmv

4. Two ways of Coding/Classifying

Quick codes and Code SetsTo Enter the Code words using code sets & quick codes (2 mins) researcher make

subjective judgment of coding keyword for future analysis – input from researcher at early stage

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session3/chpt4.wmv

5. Editing code book definition

and family tree

researcher can define the code words and view the entire relationship of the code book family tree (establishing relationship)

Editing the Code book & creating a code family tree (1 min)

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session3/chpt5.wmv

6. Applying the coding for other data files

Two ways to enter codes : use either Master List or Family Tree to Enter Codes (3 mins)

Researcher can use both master list or family tree to enter codes for parts of interview clippings

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session3/chpt6.wmv

Data Analysis

Steps 7 to 12 are for data analysis

7. Conducting a single code and multiple code searches

Researcher can use one single/multiple code/key word/filters to search for data files containing the segment/paragraphs where the code words appear, this is helpful when there are large amount of qualitative data

How to start a single and multiple searches with “Search” (1min 30 sec)

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session3/chpt7.wmv

Searching for single code

Searching for multiple codes

• This multiple code search is to search for code words that are overlapping each other.

• Important sometimes for researcher to do a Boolean “AND” search on two code words

Conducting a single code and multiple code searches

(cont’d)- Results generated :

- Extract of the content of segment where the code word appears

- Total number of segments where the code word appears and display on screen

- Which data file does the code word belong to (e.g. interview with Group1, pointed out by subject, e.g. a female student studying Geology)

- Whether the code word has been marked previously for future reference

- Also indicates the line of code words on the data files and whether there are nested segments

8. Creating memos

To record their thoughts into the data file (2 mins)• Researcher can input

memo when he came across ideas associated with the interview

• Memo could be attached to segment

• attached to file• attached to a search

output

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session4/chpt8.wmv

9. Creating Search Filters - Face Sheets

Create a Face Template, enter variables

Enter Face Sheet values for different groups of subject

Face Sheet is about an entire data file (e.g. background of a group of students)

How to create Face Sheet template (1 min)

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session4/chpt9.wmv

Entering face sheet values for different groups

Group 1 belongs to public school and had not changed subject major

Group 2 belongs to private school students and had changed subject major 2 times

10. Using Face Sheets as Search Filters

Enter Face Sheet conditions, e.g. from Public school, has not changed subject major

Enter code words, e.g. DARWIN

Ethnograph will search all files to yield result

How to use Face Sheet as Search Filters (1 min)

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session4/chpt11.wmv

11. Creating search filters - Identifier Sheets

How to create Identifier Sheet Template (1 min)

Create a Identifier Sheet Template, enter variables

Enter values for different individuals

Id sheet is a set of information about particular sections or subjects within a file

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session4/chpt10.wmv

Entering identifier sheet values for different subjects

Group 1 M2 subject whose parents income is $10,000 per month and the education level is not high

Group2 M1 subject whose parents income is $67,000 per month and the education level is not high

12. Using Id Sheets as Search Filters

How to Use Identifier Sheets as Search Filters(1 min)

Enter Id Sheet conditions, e.g. parents’ income (between $35,000 and $999999 and level of education = “college” as the parameters

Enter search code words, e.g. DARWIN

Ethnograph will search all files to yield result

http://iln.cite.hku.hk/com/1391/users/mhckwan/session4/chpt12.wmv

Results generated

• Results generated similar to those searched by single keyword

• Depends on the search filter/criteria of the researcher and the match with the interview subject, there may be results

• Or they may be no match

Comments about Ethnograph

Proscomprehensive and easy to learn within

relatively short period of timeGenerates results from large set of data

files in a short period time some steps/format need to be followed, yet

this is common for all other QDA toolsCons

could not help researchers to think/analyze still rely on human intelligence to generate

the search queries/hypotheses/theory

References

http://www.qualisresearch.com/Cohen. L., Manion. L., Morrison. K.

Research Methods in Education. (2006) 5th ed. London. RoutledgeFalmer