Qualitative Methods

Analyzing Qualitative Data

Developing Analytic Patterns & Conceptual Schemes

After researchers identify themes, codes, or patterns in their data, they will have lists or compellations of examples of themes. These recurrent themes are then linked to concerns or issues in the sociological literature—theoretical, conceptual or applied-- as you develop interpretations of what is happening in data and what meanings the participants attribute to the social processes.

The qualitative researcher's task is to filter through the countless interactions and processes that make up our social worlds and make sense of them, conceptually or theoretically. Some qualitative researchers rely on concepts derived from the literature for their analytic framework. Others apply a more grounded theory approach and seek to move from analytic description to a more elaborated theoretical model.

Making Connections

In order to move from lists of data excerpts to conceptual schemes and interpretations, connections between themes and subthemes need to be identified. Some researchers begin by mapping how the various data elements fit together into a whole and comprehensive representation of your research. Visual diagrams, process flow charts, or organizational structure charts can be helpful in understanding how themes are linked (or not). Other social scientists draw maps of their settings to identify where various types of interactions occur—how they are spatially clustered. Perhaps the most common approach is using the tried-and-true format of an outline.

As you draft outlines, diagrams, or maps, think about how your themes and subthemes are ordered. Qualitative analysis relies on analytic ordering which orders connections based on logic (rather than random or temporal ordering schemes). Analytic ordering requires that you make the connections between your themes or categories by some logical progression. For example, you might begin with a general theme (ill bodies and stigma), then link this discussion to a subtheme of disguising illness, and the micro-level themes of behavioral processes (being seated before others arrive to hide immobility), clothing or makeup choices (wigs), social graces (claiming prior engagements rather than lack of energy) that constitute how an ill person may work to disguise their lack of health and negotiate social stigma.

As you begin to make your connections among the data themes and patterns, you will find that the relationship between analysis and interpretation is reflexive, with the quotes leading to the analytic themes or categories, and the analytic categories are used to illustrate the analyses. You should have multiple examples for the data to use illustratively for each analytic theme you have identified as important. Since examples of each theme are compiled during focused coding, you can easily choose which quote or quotes appears most appropriate.