Правительство Российской Федерации Государственное образовательное бюджетное учреждение высшего профессионального образования «Государственный университет - Высшая школа экономики» Факультет социологии Программа дисциплины «Qualitative Data Analysis using Atlas.ti software» Направление: 040100.68 Социология Автор программы: Rafael Mrowczynski rmrowczynski@hse.ru Рекомендовано секцией УМС «Социология» Одобрено на заседании кафедры анализа социальных институтов Председатель / / Зав. кафедрой: И.Ф. Девятко / / 2010 г. 2010 г. Утверждено УС факультета социологии Ученый секретарь / / 2010 г. Москва 2010 1
GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION This workshop course will introduce methodological approaches to as well as practical and technical skills in analyzing textual (qualitative) data and building a sociological theory grounded in primary data. A particular emphasis will be put on bottom-up procedures of data analysis the grounded theory in particular. However, top-down approaches and analysis techniques like the qualitative content analysis will be also discussed. Course participants will learn how to conduct all analytical procedures using a state-of-the-art CAQDAS package Atlas.ti which is operated by many scientific and commercial research organizations worldwide. CAQDAS means Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software. Students who are already familiar with basic concepts of the qualitative social research methodology constitute the major target group of the course. Post-graduate students are also invited to participate. A data set (interview transcripts) will be provided to all course participants at the beginning. Analyzing a common data set will increase the possibilities of reciprocal learning between course participants. The course schedule leaves enough time for independent work with the Atlas.ti CAQDAS package, for answering questions and for solving practical problems which certainly will emerge in the process of participants own work with data set. Licenses of Atlas.ti are available on some computers in the open-access computer room in the department building (Kochnovskii proezd). Team work is strongly encouraged. It will be also integrated in the in-class sections of the course program. Analyzing texts in groups increases the inter-subjective validity of interpretations. However, participants co-operation should also generate individually assessable results. The working language of the course is English. GOALS OF THE COURSE Participants of the course will learn: 1. methodological foundations of textual data analysis; 2. practical techniques of textual data analysis in general; 3. the application of these skills in the working environment of the Atlas.ti CAQDAS package; 4. how to write research notes and how to present their preliminary results in English (i.e. basic procedures of scientific communication). The process-oriented and practical character and the focus on a CAQDAS application distinguish this particular course from other courses of qualitative methodology offered by the Sociology Department of the Higher School of Economics. PROGRAM AUTHOR / COURSE INSTRUCTOR Rafael Mrowczynski received Ph.D. (Dr. phil.) in sociology from the Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany. In his thesis, he analyzed implications of informal social relations for the theory of social stratification in state-socialist and post-socialist societies focusing on the USSR and 2
post-soviet Russia. In his postdoctoral project, he investigates the development of legal professions in Germany, Poland and Russia. Professional biographies and processes of professional habitus formation are the focus of this qualitative research. He has collected rich practical experience in analysing textual data when participating in biographical research projects on municipal politicians in Eastern Europe (1997-1998) at the Goethe University in Frankfurt on Main, Germany and on Eastern European dissidents at the research consortium Another Europe lead by the Research Centre for Eastern-European Studies at the Bremen University, Germany (2006-2007). In 2008-2009, he co-directed a research team analysing focus-groups about impact of the economic crisis on German population. The project was hosted at the Leibinz University in Hanover, Germany. He acquired practical skills in computer-assisted qualitative data analysis at the Methods Centre of the Leibniz University in Hanover, Germany attending special trainings offered by a certified Atlas.ti consultant Dr. Susanne Friese. THEMATIC PLAN OF THE COURSE Theme Total hours in theme Hours in classroom Lecture Seminar Independent Work 1 Qualitative Data Analysis 20 2 2 16 2 3 4 5 The Atlas.ti CAQDAS package Coding: strategies and techniques Memo writing: strategies and techniques Text search and other Atlas.ti tools 20 2 2 16 20 2 2 16 20 2 2 16 12 1 1 10 6 Network views & hyperlinks 12 1 1 10 7 The Query Tool 20 2 2 16 8 Teamwork and merging Atlas.ti files (HUs) 20 2 2 16 Total 144 14 14 116 3
COURSE SCHEDULE 1. Qualitative Data Analysis Introduction of participants and their particular interests in qualitative data analysis; Introduction to qualitative data analysis (QDA): Fundamental characteristics of qualitative social research (QRS) and their implications for procedures of qualitative data analysis; The importance of reflexivity in qualitative social research and, especially, in qualitative data analysis; Typology of non-standardized data; What means interpretation and when does it start? Reflections about interviewing and using interview transcripts in qualitative social research; Differences between bottom-up and top-down approaches in qualitative data analysis; Fundamental characteristics of the Grounded Theory (GT); Different currents within the Grounded Theory ; Introduction to Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) in general: What CAQDAS packages can perform and what they cannot perform. Advantages of using a Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software; Disadvantages of using a Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software; Additional important information: Atlas.ti website: www.atlasti.com; Atlas.ti User s Guide ; Atlas.ti free trial version and its limitations. WARNING: do not use a trial version for any serious work because your project file characteristics will very soon exceed the limitations and you will be unable to save your work! Required readings: Charmaz 2006: 1-41, 123-150; Davis and Meyer 2009. Additional readings: Denzin and Lincoln 2008; Kelle 1995; Kelle and Laurie 1995; Lonkila 1995; Peräkylä 2008. 2. The Atlas.ti CAQDAS package Overview of major Atlas.ti functions: a practical demonstration. Textual-level work; Conceptual-level work; The basic Atlas.ti terminology; Atlas.ti work environment File formats processed by Atlas.ti; Folders for data source files & paths; Creating a project file (called hermeneutic unit or HU ) in Atlas.ti; Assigning and managing primary documents (PDs) in Atlas.ti: Grouping of documents ( PD families ); Using filters; Editing PDs in Atlas.ti; Backup options. 4
Working in Atlas.ti requires observance of some basic rules as regarding the data management. Ignoring these rules results either in loss of connections between primary data files and Atlas.ti objects (this means the loss of one s results) or in data chaos which will severely complicate one s work especially if he or she cooperates with other members of a research team. For this reason, a certain degree of rigor at the very initial stage of work with this CAQDAS package is necessary. 3. Coding: strategies & techniques Basic forms of coding in the Grounded Theory : Open coding, line-by-line coding and in-vivo codes ; Focused coding ; Axial coding ; Theoretical coding An alternative coding strategy in qualitative data analysis: top-down coding by list of pre-existing (theory-refined) codes. Quotations in Atlas.ti; Coding techniques in Atlas.ti; Linking quotations in Atlas.ti; Managing codes in Atlas.ti; Code comments; Creating code families a particularly useful tool for focused coding ; Filtering codes and coded quotations; Merging codes; Generating outputs from Atlas.ti: Code lists; Lists of coded quotations Required readings: Charmaz 2006: 42-71; Witzel 2000. Additional readings: Seidel and Kelle 1995; Strauss and Corbin 1999: 101-180; Richards and Richards 1995; Araujo 1995. The techniques of initial coding ( open coding, line-by-line coding and in-vivo coding ) will be practically demonstrated at this stage of the course. Other coding procedures, as well as more advanced analytical procedures, require initially coded material. Consecutively, course participants will begin with initial coding of the first interview transcript. Coding of further transcripts and reorganization of initial codes will follow. 4. Memo writing: strategies and techniques Memos in Grounded Theory ; Types and functions of memos: Theoretical memos; Methodological memos; Recording research and analysis process. Methods of memo-writing; Techniques of memo creating in Atlas.ti; Linking memos to data segments (quotations) in Atlas.ti. Managing memos in Atlas.ti; Different comment options in Atlas.ti as specific memo formats: 5
Commenting codes; Commenting code families ; Commenting quotations; Commenting PDs; Commenting HUs; Required readings: Charmaz 2006: 72-115. Additional readings: Strauss and Corbin 1999: 217-242. 5. Text search and other Atlas.ti tools Simple text searches; Category searches: Category searches using wildcards ; Category searches using categories from a library; GREP searches; The auto coding tool; Object crawler; Word cruncher: a tool for a simple quantitative analysis of textual data. 6. Network views & hyperlinks What is a network view in Atlas.ti; Basic elements of an Atlas.ti network view: Nodes; Links; Typologies of links; Difference between links and relations; Creating and editing links between codes in Atlas.ti Editing and commenting relations between codes; Creating hyperlinks between quotations in Atlas.ti; Editing and commenting relations between quotations; Creating and editing network views in Atlas.ti Managing links between codes and between quotations in Atlas.ti. Required readings: Charmaz 2006: 115-121. Additional readings: Strauss and Corbin 1999: 217-242; Prein, Kelle, Richards, and Richards 1995. 7. The Query Tool What is the query tool? Prerequisites for using the query tool in Atlas.ti; Basic terminology Operands; Operators; Types of operators: Boolean operators and specific prerequisites for their effective use; Semantic operators and specific prerequisites for their effective use; Proximity operators and specific prerequisites for their effective use; The query tool graphic user interface in Atlas.ti; The syntax of queries in Atlas.ti: the Reversed Polish Notation (RPN); 6
Using the stack management buttons; Creating queries (principles and practical exercises); Creating reports from query results; Creating super codes and snapshot codes. 8. Merging and discussing individual contributions At this stage of the course, hermeneutic units (Atlas.ti files) of student working on the joint project will be merged. Their codes and memos will be compared and discussed. These procedures are particularly important for team work and sharing of preliminary QDA results among members of a research team. 9. Presenting & discussing preliminary results Each student working on a joint project will have 10 minutes for presentation and discussion of his or her results. Time slots for discussion may be adjusted depending on the number of participants scheduled to present. 10. Written test The test will contain of open questions referring to required readings and problems discussed in previous course meetings. Timeframe: 60 minutes. After the test participants will have the opportunity to get additional individual feedback on their written presentations of research results (reports). Feedback discussion will be also possible in individual consultation meetings. GRADING The awarded grades will take into account: 1. Active participation in course meetings i.e. contributing to discussions, presenting practical problem solutions on an ad-hoc basis etc. Asking questions is also a very important form of active participation. 15 per cent of the final grade will be awarded according to this criterion. A frequent attendance is, of course, a necessary prerequisite of active participation. Missing of classes will be accepted only if it is announced in advance or justified afterwards by naming an important reason like illness etc. (In cases of illness a medical certificate should be submitted to the Dean s Office.) Please use e-mail (rmrowczynski@hse.ru), phone (+7 499 152 04 71) or personal contact (office 216) to the course instructor for discussing individual scheduling and attendance problems. 2. Three research notes (reports) about analyzed interview transcripts. Particular interview transcripts will be assigned to each participant. First, all course participants will have to analyze one and the same interview transcript and to write a case report (research note). In the next step, every course participant will be assigned to analyze a different interview transcript and to write a case report (research note). The third step will be the analysis of several interview transcripts and the writing of a summarizing research note which focuses on a particular research question. The two first research notes (case reports) should be about 1,000 words long (excluding title, references etc.); the third research note should be about 1,500 words long (excluding title, references etc.). Research notes should include exemplary, but not excessive, original quotations from the analyzed data set. When writing them please remember that qualitative social research is about interpreting, not simply about re-telling or summarizing, 7
information obtained from original sources (interviews, publications, documents etc.). Every reference to an interview transcript (not just literally quotations) should be precisely indicated by transcript number and line numbers (e.g. 02: 120-132 meaning transcript no. 2, lines 120 to 132). When quoting from published sources, please use the ASR style for bibliographic references (see: the list of readings and short references to these publications in this syllabus; a detailed list of formal requirements can be downloaded from the website of the American Sociological Review). The results of every analytical step will be comprehensively discussed in a course meeting. A list of deadlines for the submission of each of the research notes will be distributed to all course participants in the first meeting of the course. The results of this work will constitute 15 per cent of the final grade. 3. Frequent reviews of Atlas.ti files (HU files) and project folders at different stages of the course. These HU reviews will be synchronized with the submission of research notes. The comparison of consecutive review reports compiled by the course instructor will serve as the indicator of course participants progress in acquiring practical skills of using the Atlas.ti CAQDAS package. The total result of these assessments will constitute 20 per cent of the final grade. 4. A written and oral presentation of analytical results. 4.1. The individual written report of research results should be about 3.000 words long (excluding table of contents, endnotes, bibliography etc.). It should combine a concise presentation of author s findings and their interpretation in the light of research questions. Please include exemplary, but not excessive, original quotations from the analyzed data set and remember that qualitative social research is about interpreting, not simply re-telling or summarizing, information obtained from original sources. Every reference to an interview transcript (not just literally quotations) should be precisely indicated by transcript number and line numbers (e.g. 02: 120-132 meaning transcript number 2, lines 120 to 132). The report should also include precise information about analyzed sources and a re-flexion about the data set as well as about the CAQDAS use. Please use the ASR standard for bibliographic references (see: the list of readings and short references to these publications in this syllabus; a detailed list of formal requirements can be downloaded from the website of the American Sociological Review). The assessment of the final report will constitute 20 per cent of the final grade. 4.2. In the last regular meeting, all participants will present their research reports in oral form. The presentation should summarize key findings and include outputs (quotations, codes and / or network views) from Atlas.ti. Each student will have ten minutes for presentation and another five minutes for discussion of his or her report. Presentations of similar topics can be combined but individual contributions should be clearly distinguishable for grading proposes. The assessment of the oral presentation will constitute 20 per cent of the final grade. 5. The acquisition of methodological knowledge from required readings. It will be tested in written form at the end of the course. The test can also include questions regarding practical problems of qualitative data analysis and of the use of a CAQDAS package discussed during the 8
course as well as practical exercises in exemplary interpretation of data segments. The result of the test will constitute 10 per cent of the final grade. Participants who finish the course with a passing grade may turn to the course instructor for further consultation regarding practical application of the acquired knowledge and skills in their own research projects (e.g. master thesis) after the end of the course. Control questions To be awarded a passing grade, every course participant has to be able to give an adequate answer to each of the following questions: 1. What are the fundamental characteristics of qualitative social research in general and of the grounded theory in particular? What about different currents within the Grounded Theory? 2. What are, in general, the advantages and what are the major shortcomings of a qualitative data analysis which uses a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software package? 3. Why the analysis of interactions which generate elicited data has always to be included in QDA even if research questions of a given project do not mention this specific aspect explicitly? 4. Can you imagine data that are extant and elicited at the same time? Please discuss the major aspects which should be reflected by researchers who use this hybrid type of data. 5. Why conducting qualitative interviews is not as easy as daily conversations and every researcher or research assistant performing this task should think a lot about the wording of his or her questions? 6. How can file names be used for structuring data stored in digital formats? 7. What are codes and how to code data? 8. How to write different types of memos and how to use them in the research process? 9. How to use codes and memos to build categories and finally a theory? 10. What is the core idea of theoretical sampling? 11. How to organize knowledge refined from coded data? 12. What are benefits and what are shortcomings of visualizing relationships between codes? 13. How to use query tool in Atlas.ti and how to save query results as super codes? 14. How to merge project files of different participants co-operating in a working group? 15. How to integrate individual pursuits in computer-assisted QDA? 16. Last but not least, the MOST IMPORTANT question: What are the major findings of the data analysis conducted by every course participant? Please note that these questions may be asked during the test in a more tricky way which requires creative reasoning, not just a simple reproduction of given knowledge. 9
Bibliography: Araujo, Luis. 1995. Designing and Refining Hierarchical Coding Frames. Pp. 96 103 in Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, edited by U. Kelle. London: Sage. Charmaz, Kathy C. 2006. Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide Through Qualitative Analysis, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage. (HSE library: 316 C47) Davis, Nickolas W. and Barbara B. Meyer. 2009. Qualitative Data Analysis: A Procedural Comparison. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology 21:116 124 (see: electronic resources of the HSE) Denzin, Norman K. and Yvonna S. Lincoln. 2008. Introduction. The Discipline and Practice of Qualitative Research. Pp. 1 43 in Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials, edited by N. K. Denzin, and Y. S. Lincoln. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage. Holliday, Adrian. 2007. Doing and Writing Qualitative Research, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage. (HSE library 316 H75) Kelle, Udo, editor. 1995. Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, London: Sage. (HSE library 004 C73) Kelle, Udo. 1995. Introduction: An Overview of Computer-aided Methods in Qualitative Research. Pp. 1 17 in Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, edited by U. Kelle. London: Sage Kelle, Udo and Heather Laurie. 1995. Computer Use in Qualitative Research and Issues of Validity. Pp. 19 28 in Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, edited by U. Kelle. London: Sage. Krippendorff, Klaus. 2004. Content Analysis. An Introduction to Its Methodology, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage. Lee, Raymond M. and Nigel G. Fielding. 1995. User's Experiences of Qualitative Data Analysis Software. Pp. 29 40 in Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, edited by U. Kelle. London: Sage. Lonkila, Marrku. 1995. Grounded Theory as an Emerging Paradigm for Computer-assisted Qualitative Data Analysis. Pp. 41 51 in Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, edited by U. Kelle. London: Sage. Peräkylä, Anssi. 2008. Analyzing Talk and Text. Pp. 351 374 in Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials, edited by N. K. Denzin, and Y. S. Lincoln. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Prein, Gerald, Udo Kelle, Lyn Richards, and Tom Richards. 1995. Introduction:. Using Linkages and Networks for Theory Building. Pp. 62 68 in Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, edited by U. Kelle. London: Sage. Ragin, Charles C. 1995. Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis to Study Configurations. Pp. 177 189 in Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, edited by U. Kelle. London: Sage. Richards, Tom and Lyn Richards. 1995. Using Hierarchical Categories in Qualitative Data Analysis. Pp. 80 95 in Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, edited by U. Kelle. London: Sage. Seidel, John and Udo Kelle. 1995. Different Functions of Coding in the Analysis of Textual Data. Pp. 52 60 in Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, Methods and Practice, edited by U. Kelle. London: Sage. Strauss, Anselm L. and Juliet M. Corbin. 1999. Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publ. Witzel, Andreas. 2000. The problem-centered interview. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research 1:26 paragraphs (http://nbnresolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0001228). All participants are strongly encouraged to conduct their own bibliographic research on questions prompted by their empirical inquiries. Author of the program: /Rafael Mrowczynski/ 10