Starting to Manage Data for Content Analysis

1. Starting to Manage Datafor Content Analysis

2. Data Form and Transformation • What shape is the data in when you get it? • What do you have to do to make it usable? • What is the most convenient way to do it?

3. Coding IN or FROM Text • Sometimes useful to mark up actual text • for preliminary ideas • to test possibilities • for some kinds of qualitative analysis • For other situations this is unnecessary • you need more complex coding • you need to manage lots of units • you need to be able to quantify results

4. When It is In Computer Files • POSSIBILITY of working directly on text • But this is not necessarily desirable • Limitations for analysis • Requires extensive file management • This is what CAQDAS packages do • But you can do some parts in Word • We will try out these possibilities today

5. When It is NOT in Computer • May not need to convert it at all • May be easier to code into computer • Keep data in existing form • Use code numbers to identify • Code FROM that form into computer system • Increases analytical options • Simplifies data and file management • We will start that next week

6. What You Can Do in Word • Find words and phrases • with the Find command (very basic) • with a concordance file (more options) • Mark passages in the text • with concordance file field codes • with the highlighter • Make notes or connections • with footnotes • with comments • with hyperlinks

7. What are the Limitations • Have to keep working with whole texts • Hard to count instances • Hard to compare cases or sets • Hard to extract what you found • Hard to convert for further analysis