Introduction/Overview

This two day course is designed to equip participants with a clear understanding of the principles and practice of high quality, rigorous qualitative data analysis. The course primarily focuses on ‘Framework’, an approach to qualitative data management developed at NatCen, and how this approach can be used to conduct descriptive and explanatory qualitative data analysis. The course will be delivered through a mixture of taught sessions and practical exercises.

Objectives

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• be able to recognise different approaches to qualitative data analysis (QDA)
• be able to describe key stages in the analytical process in qualitative research
• be able to describe and use the ‘Framework’ approach to data management
• have gained experience of interpreting qualitative data from analytical charts
• be able to describe the factors which can affect the generalisability of qualitative data
• be able to evaluate the quality of qualitative analysis presented to them

Topics

The key stages and objectives of the analytical process in qualitative research

• Overview of the range of approaches to QDA
• The qualitative analytical hierarchy
• Tools for qualitative data management
• Using Framework for data management
• Developing the conceptual framework for analysis
• Descriptive analysis for qualitative data
• Introducing typologies in qualitative research
• The nature of linkage and explanations in qualitative data
•  Searching for linkages and explanations
• Drawing wider inference from qualitative data

Who will benefit?

This course will be useful to you if you:

• are an experienced qualitative researcher who wants to learn new skills in qualitative data analysis or to broaden and refresh your existing skills
• are experienced in other aspects of qualitative research but are new to the analysis of qualitative data
• commission or manage qualitative research in central or local government, health or other applied policy sectors and need to understand the qualitative data analysis process

Course tutors

Meg Callanan is a Senior Researcher within the Children, Families and Work team in NatCen’s Policy Research Centre. Specialising in qualitative research methods, she has worked on a wide range of studies, most recently including an evaluation of the 16-19 Bursary Fund, and a study investigating the use of the PE premium in primary schools. Meg is currently working on a study of good practice in Early Education and teaches on training courses that focus on qualitative data analysis.

Caroline Turley is Head of NatCen's Crime and Justice and Social Attitudes teams. Her specialisms are researching sensitive issues and vulnerable groups, such as victims of crime, high risk offender populations and bereaved families. Before joining NatCen in 2007, Caroline carried out qualitative research at the Police Complaints Authority and BMRB Social Research (now TNS-BMRB). She has a BSc in Social Policy and Sociology and an MSc in Criminology, both from the London School of Economics.

Course fee payable to SRA.

  This course contributes 6 hours to the MRS CPD programme