Beyond the Interpretive: Finding Meaning in Qualitative Data

Abstract

This theory paper compares two different qualitative analysis techniques for the same data: interpretive thematic analysis and deconstructive analysis. Recently qualitative methodologists have called for a move away from coding to what they call "postqualitative" analysis and "thinking with theory". They argue that because interpretive coding is conducted without regard to theory and breaks the data into small pieces, it is inherently reductive, leading to a superficial and self-evident set of themes. In contrast, post-qualitative analysis begins by interpreting data in light of theory, resulting in deep interpretation. The analysis in this paper uses a single interview from a larger study on diversity and inclusion in engineering. The most striking difference in the two analyses is the tone. Thematic analysis results in a somewhat distant tone, treating the participant's views as received knowledge. The deconstructive analysis is richer in interpretation. Engineering education research would benefit from the deeper meanings obtained through post-qualitative analysis.

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Yoga Program for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention (YOGA-DP) Among High-Risk People: Qualitative Study to Explore Reasons for Non-participation in a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial in India

“…During and after data collection, the qualitative researcher familiarized herself with the data by reading the transcripts multiple times. The researcher coded all the transcripts using the interpretative approach and deductive logic with the help of QSR-NVivo 10 software (20,21). The a priori codes were derived from the key questions in the interview guide.…”

“…The a priori codes were derived from the key questions in the interview guide. The interpretative coding approach helped in fragmenting and reorganizing data to identify themes (21). After assigning codes to transcripts, summaries were prepared from the coded data.…”

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