Analysing and Interpreting Data

Analysing and
Interpreting Data
Chapter 11
‘All meanings, we know, depend on the key
of interpretation.’
-George Eliot
O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING RE 2

AL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Effective Data Analysis
 Effective data analysis involves
 keeping your eye on the main game
 managing your data
 engaging in the actual process of quantitative
and / or qualitative analysis
 presenting your data
 drawing meaningful and logical conclusions

The Big Picture
 Analysis should be approached as a
critical, reflective, and iterative process
that cycles between data and an
overarching research framework that
keeps the big picture in mind

Managing Data
 Regardless of data type, managing your data
involves
 familiarizing yourself with appropriate software
 developing a data management system
 systematically organizing and screening your data
 entering the data into a program
 and finally ‘cleaning’ your data

Statistics
 Being able to do statistics no longer
means being able to work with formula
 It’s much more important for researchers
to be familiar with the language and logic
of statistics, and be competent in the use
of statistical software

Data Types
 Different data types demand discrete
treatment, so it’s important to be able to
distinguish variables by
 cause and effect (dependent or independent)
 measurement scales (nominal, ordinal,
interval, and ratio)

Descriptive Statistics
 Descriptive statistics are used to
summarize the basic feature of a data set
through
 measures of central tendency (mean, mode,
and median)
 dispersion (range, quartiles, variance, and
standard deviation)
 distribution (skewness and kurtosis)

Inferential Statistics
 Inferential statistics allow researchers to assess
their ability to draw conclusions that extent
beyond the immediate data, e.g.
 if a sample represents the population
 if there are differences between two or more groups
 if there are changes over time
 if there is a relationship between two or more
variables

Selecting Statistical Tests
 Selecting the right statistical test relies on
 knowing the nature of your variables
 their scale of measurement
 their distribution shape
 types of question you want to ask

Presenting Quantitative Data
 Presenting quantitative data often
involves the production of graphs and
tables
 These need to be
1. selectively generated so that they make
relevant arguments
2. informative yet simple, so that they aid
reader’s understanding

Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA)
 In qualitative data analysis there is a
common reliance on words and images to
draw out rich meaning
 But there is an amazing array of
perspectives and techniques for
conducting an investigation

The QDA Process
 Qualitative data analysis creates new
understandings by exploring and interpreting
complex data from sources without the aid of
quantification
 Data source include
 interviews
 group discussions
 observation
 journals
 archival documents, etc

Uncovering and Discovering
Themes
 The methods and logic of qualitative data
analysis involve uncovering and
discovering themes that run through raw
data, and interpreting the implication of
those themes for research questions

More on the QDA Process
 Qualitative data analysis generally involves
 moving through cycles of inductive and deductive
reasoning
 thematic exploration (based on words, concepts,
literary devises, and nonverbal cues)
 exploration of the interconnections among themes
 Qualitative data analysis software can help with

these tasks

Specialist QDA Strategies
 There are a number of paradigm and discipline
based strategies for qualitative data analysis
including
 content analysis
 discourse analysis
 narrative analysis
 conversation analysis
 semiotics
 hermeneutics
 grounded theory

Presenting Qualitative Data
 Effective presentation of qualitative data
can be a real challenge
 You’ll need to have a clear storyline, and
selectively use your words and/or images
to give weight to your story

Drawing Conclusions
 Your findings and conclusions need to flow
from analysis and show clear relevance to
your overall project
 Findings should be considered in light of
 significance
 current research literature
 limitations of the study
 your questions, aims, objectives, and theory


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Analysing and

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