Using and Interpreting Qualitative Data: How and What We Learn from Interviews, Focus Groups, and Participant Observatio

1. Using and Interpreting Qualitative Data:How and What We Learn from Interviews, Focus Groups, and Participant Observation Daniel Dohan, Ph.D. Institute for Health Policy Studies & Dept. of Anthropology, History, & Social Medicine University of California, San Francisco

2. Research Background Poverty, culture, and healthcare Projects and methods The Price of Poverty: Solo p-o Cancer & culture: Solo p-o and iv�s; team focus groups Welfare & substance abuse: Team iv�s Poverty & stigma: Team p-o and iv�s

3. Overview Qualitative and quantitative approaches Producing qualitative data Analyzing & publishing qualitative results

4. All Researchers Face Four Fundamental Tasks Selecting subjects to study Interacting with subjects to gather data Avoiding arbitrary findings Convincing others of what you found Quant & qual approach tasks differently Quantitative: four R�s Qualitative: four P�s

5. Different Approaches to Research:4 �R�s� versus 4 �P�s�

6. Tasks by Research Activity

7. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Activities

8. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Activities

9. �R�s� or �P�s�?Depends on Your Question R�s Population is well defined, accessible, and appreciates non-reactivity Available measures are appropriate and support hypothesis testing P�s Population is unclear, inaccessible, or uncomfortable with research institutions Available measures are unavailable, problematic, or undesirable

10. Collecting Qualitative Data Talk to people Individual interviews, focus groups Interact with people Participant-observation (p-o) Read what people write Scholarly publications (literature reviews) Private archives (historical analyses) Popular publications (content analyses)

11. Qualitative Data Production: Interviews, Focus Groups, P-O HI Interviews ? Focus Groups ? P-O LOW Control over production Specificity of data for research question Scalability of production Amount of data that can be collected Intrusiveness of production Range of addressable questions

12. Analytic Principles Analyze cases Retain holism, contingency, complexity Balance analysis and data Analyze iteratively Let new data inform ongoing analysis Revise analytical categories as needed Pursue new questions that emerge during write-up

13. Analytic Processes Coding data Mark, corral, and reduce data Start with codes a priori or allow to develop Codes evolve with time and experience Analyzing data and codes Mimic quantitative by counting, correlating Reduce data and focus analysis Proliferate codes to see layers of meaning

14. Computer Assistance Does not alter analysis process Usually not a shortcut or timesaver Programs fit different data & needs

15. Computer Software Atlas-ti: large datasets, unstructured coding, mimic paper code & sort NUDIST: large datasets, structured coding, mimic quant analysis NVivo: less data, unstructured coding, find patterns/relationships in codes Folio Views: huge datasets, focused coding, search & sort

16. Publishing Journals approach to qualitative findings CMP, SSM: collect/analyze data, send it in AJPH, HSR, JNCI: qualitative is exception Targeting the �exceptional� journals Supplement quantitative approach Mimic quantitative approach Answer question quantitative approach can�t