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28 - Qualitative Analysis

from Part IV - Statistical Approaches

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2023

By
Nicky Hayes
Edited by
Austin Lee Nichols  and
John Edlund
Austin Lee Nichols
Affiliation:
Central European University, Vienna
John Edlund
Affiliation:
Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
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Summary

In this chapter, we will discuss the “big four” approaches to qualitative analysis – qualitative content analysis, thematic analysis, grounded theory, and discourse analysis – before briefly describing four additional commonly used approaches. Some of these approaches are empirical, either theory-driven or inductive, identifying observable concepts in the data. In others, research is from a social constructionist perspective, incorporating the researcher’s interpretation as an essential part of the analysis. Some methods, such as thematic analysis, can be used for either approach. This epistemological range means that, as with quantitative analyses, it is essential to select the appropriate method for analyzing the data, and the rigorous procedures involved in qualitative methodology must be followed meticulously.

Keywords

Thematic AnalysisGrounded TheoryQualitative Content AnalysisDiscourse AnalysisEpistemology
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Volume 1: Building a Program of Research
 , pp. 606 - 626
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Qualitative Analysis
  • Edited by Austin Lee Nichols, Central European University, Vienna, John Edlund, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
  • Book: The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Online publication: 25 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009010054.029
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  • Qualitative Analysis
  • Edited by Austin Lee Nichols, Central European University, Vienna, John Edlund, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
  • Book: The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Online publication: 25 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009010054.029
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  • Qualitative Analysis
  • Edited by Austin Lee Nichols, Central European University, Vienna, John Edlund, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
  • Book: The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Online publication: 25 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009010054.029
Available formats
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