What this lesson teaches
I can analyse qualitative and quantitative data and explain results that do not fit.
Syllabus 9173, Fieldwork, 3. Post-fieldwork stage. Students should be able to: organise and represent data using appropriate methods (see Additional Notes on Data); analyse the data using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods.
Make a guess
In interviews, one resident says "hot" five times. How many people have reported heat?
- It depends on the size of the word cloud.
- One person.
- Five people.
- None, because heat is not a fieldwork theme.
Show the answer
One person.
Count people, passages or words, and say which. One person repeating a word is still one person reporting heat.
Group qualitative evidence using a clear rule, then check each theme against its original context.
Qualitative evidence describes meanings and experiences. Read whole interviews before coding them. A code is a label for an idea, such as safety, cost or friendship. Write a short definition for each code and apply it the same way every time. One passage can have more than one code.
Compare themes across people and places. Counting can help, but say whether you count words, passages or people. Someone saying "hot" five times is not five people reporting heat. A word cloud shows how often words appear, not how important they are.
Keep answers that disagree. Some residents enjoy a busy market for company, while others find it stressful. Quote briefly and anonymously, with permission. One vivid comment does not prove everyone agrees. Explain what each quote shows about your question.
Compare your coding with another researcher's to find unclear categories. Use observations and numbers alongside interviews. Agreement strengthens an interpretation, while disagreement can reveal differences in timing, definitions or experience.
- Code
- A label for an idea in the data.
- Counting rule
- Say whether you count words, passages or people.
- Contrary cases
- Keep and explain answers that disagree.
Step by step
Define the codes
What words or meanings fit each label?
Compare fairly
Same rule; keep disagreeing answers.
Interpret in context
Link themes to the question and the person.
Worked example: A clear coding rule
Code "mobility barrier" when someone describes physical difficulty moving along a route. Do not include every complaint. High prices belong under cost, unless the person links them to getting around.
Watch out for this
The most common word must be the main problem.
Frequency depends on wording and counting. Importance also depends on severity and who is affected.
Check your understanding
One interview disagrees with the main theme. What should you do?
- Examine its context and explain the difference.
- Delete it to make the main conclusion clearer.
- Treat it as the true view and drop the theme.
Show the answer
Examine its context and explain the difference.
Yes. Disagreement can reveal important differences.