A series of steps are taken in conducting analysis. The initial step involves pr

A series of steps are taken in conducting analysis. The initial step involves preparing the data for analysis, for example transcribing interviews. That transcribed interview is then fractured into segments or small units of meaning. The segments may be phrases, sentences, or paragraphs. A descriiptive label is assigned to each unit of qualitative data. The label may consist of a word or phrase. This process of labeling is also called coding. A list of initial codes is developed in the first round of coding. Each code is defined in the context of the data. The process of coding continues with other interviews or pieces of data collected. As new codes are developed, previous data must be reanalyzed to see if new codes should be assigned. This analytical procedure is a non-linear, iterative process. When no new codes emerge from the data, a phenomenon called saturation occurred.
The next step consists of clustering together groups of codes under a label that connects all codes in each group. This categorization is an important procedure in which data is not only being coded but is also analyzed and interpreted through attributing meaning. A higher level of abstraction is created through a major theme or themes. The results of the analysis are usually expressed in themes and they may represent the lessons learned from a case, a descriiption of experiences, or a theory or model.
In this Discussion, you will consider how to analyze data related to the research plan you discussed during the past two weeks and how to ensure trustworthiness in your study.
To Prepare
Review this week’s Learning Resources. Pay particular attention to strategies for analyzing qualitative data and for establishing the trustworthiness of a qualitative study.
Reflect on the qualitative research scenario you discussed in previous weeks.
Identify areas you need to build on and refine, and think about the specific sources of data needed to answer your research question.
Think about the data you would collect and how you would analyze it to produce meaningful findings that address the research question.
Consider the steps you would take to ensure that your study is trustworthy.
Alignment of scenario elements is important. See the Examples of Aligned and Misaligned Scenarios document, which can be downloaded from the Week 11 Learning Resources area of the classroom.
Discussion posts are pass/fail but have minimum criteria to pass. See the Discussion Rubric to ensure you understand the pass/fail criteria