Chapter 2: QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS

If the focus of your study is the examination of documents, than you should have access to such material which may include letters, memos, notes, diaries, photographs, audiotapes, videotapes, films, articles, books, manuscripts, e-mails, online discussions and so forth. In general documents are any preserved recording of a person’s thoughts, actions or creations (Potter, 1996). The examination of documents is especially important to historians who investigate patterns and trends from the past. Documents may be examined to investigate patterns and trends of the past as is commonly done by historians. If no humans remain alive to provide primary evidence, then documents are the in only source of data (Potter, 1996). Documents are also examined by researchers who are investigating subjects who are available. The examination of documents may also provide confirmatory evidence of the information obtained from interviews and observations. For example, Bodroghkozy (1985) examined 42 letters written to her from viewers on their reaction to the TV series “Dallas”.

Imagine that you want to find out what goes on in the teachers’ lounge or staff room. You could interview those involved, or maybe even send out a questionnaire. Using the interview or the questionnaire, you would be getting what people thought about what was going on. Sometimes, the best way to gain a ‘rich picture’ of a setting such as the staff room, the school canteen, a staff meeting, the playground or the classroom is to see for yourself what is happening, rather than depending on your respondents.

Observation is the technique of obtaining data through direct contact with a persons or group of persons. Since, the main focus of qualitative research is naturalism, the researcher has to observe person or persons in their natural state