Workshop: modeling qualitative data

Modeling Qualitative Data

Clay Spinuzzi, [email protected]

What we’ll do

Discuss principles of systematically analyzing qualitative data

Discuss types of models for systematically analyzing data

Discuss how to interrelate these models

Apply principles to your own data

Before discussing your projects...

Systematically analyzing qualitative

data

“Data is not the plural of anecdote”

Qualitative data should...

relate to a research question or concern

relate to each other

help us to draw testable inferences

provide evidence for claims

Ways to analyze qualitative dataTriangulating

Coding

Memoing

Modeling

Using models to explore relationships

Three kinds of models

(Depending on how you count them)

network: for nonsequential relationships

flow: for sequential relationships

matrix: for ordered comparisons

Models in qualitative research...Models: visual representations that allow you to abstract relations at each level and see patterns.

Not always used

But: useful for visualizing and exploring specific types of relationships in the data

Specifically, useful for spotting, testing, verifying, and elaborating patterns in the data

And consequently, for developing further hypotheses

Network diagrams

The point: Nonsequential relationships

The payoff: You can see how different things relate along specific lines (e.g., where they are coordinated, where they contact each other)

Examples from “Chains and Ecologies”: Genre Ecology Models (Resource Maps)

Flow diagramsThe point: Sequential

relationships.

The payoff: You can see sequences and decision points.

Examples from “Chains and Ecologies”: Communication Event Models (Handoff Chains)

Matrixes (tables)

The point: Ordered comparisons

The payoff: You can compare things (in rows) using the same criteria or characteristics (columns)

Examples from “Chains and ecologies”: STG Tables (Triangulation Tables)

Prepare for report Write report Deliver report

Elizair

previous month’s report, highlighting and annotations on previous month’s report, emails with client, spreadsheet of projects, IMs and talks with Craig, WikiAnswers

emaiils from customer, BRILLIANCE, report template, notes, email to Sonia

Final draft of report, client presentation, PowerPoint slides

Craig previous month’s report, highlighting and annotations on previous month’s report, emails with client, keyword logs, text file listing projects, IMs and talks with Dani

Emails from customer, BRILLIANCE, report template, notes, email to Sonia

Final draft of report, client presentation, PowerPoint slides

Dani previous month’s report, highlighting and annotations on previous month’s report, emails with client, notebook listing projects, IMs and talks with Craig

Emails from customer, BRILLIANCE, report template, notes, email to Sonia

Final draft of report, client presentation, PowerPoint slides

Sonia Email from Elizair, emails with customer, talk with Elizair

Final draft of report, Cover email to client, client presentation, PowerPoint slides

Other sorts of models?Think in terms of other relationships you could explore in your qualitative data:

Heat maps?

Word clouds?

Traffic flow?

Combinations of other models?

Interrelating models

Interrelating models

Done well, this can provide further insights

Each model lets you visualize and test a relationship.

Can you interrelate the insights from different models?

(See “Chains and Ecologies”)

Applying models to your projects

Please introduce yourselves and your projects

Your name

Your project (in a sentence)

Your research question/concern

The kind of data you’re collecting

The data you brought today

In a few sentences...

As we look at each project...

We’ll collectively answer these questions.

What is the research question/concern? What relationships should we explore to get to it?

What relationships might we explore with network diagrams, flow diagrams, and/or matrixes?

Are there relationships we can’t model with them? How might we model these?

What actionable next steps should the researcher take?