Qualitative Research: Data Analysis

Abstract

Qualitative research is a simple, inexpensive and effective tool in medical research. The data analysis in qualitative researches, though based on certain ground rules, do not follow a rigid process like the data analysis of quantitative researches. It is ongoing through and through method. One interesting feature of data collection and analysis in qualitative research is “constant comparison”. This is a highly unique method in this type of research as compared to the quantitative research. Qualitative researches usually involve inductive reasoning, but there is deductive reasoning also. The first step of analyzing qualitative data is to transcribe all data into English from vernacular language. This transcript is then subjected to selection of “codes” which are nothing but descriptive names applied to certain thoughts coming up repeatedly in a transcript. Several codes together make a broader “category”. Themes are emerged from categories which are broad categories of information. The process of transcript analysis is called “content analysis” and this is at the end converted into “thematic analysis” which gives the meaning of the whole research and the answers to the original research question(s). There is ‘consolidated criteria’ for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) which is a 32 item check list for interviews and focus group discussions.