Deck 13: Analysing Qualitative Data

Question 1

"All non numeric data that have not been quantified." What is this a definition of?

A) Qualitative data
B) Erroneous data
C) Coded data
D) Quantitative data

Answer 1

Qualitative data

Question 2

Qualitative data can only be generated from an exploratory research strategy.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

"Data collection results in non-standardised data requiring classification into categories." What is this sentence describing?

A) Quantitative data
B) Qualitative data
C) Both of these
D) Neither of these

Answer 3

Qualitative data

Question 4

How can an 'impressionistic' view of qualitative data be avoided?

A) By summarising it
B) By grouping it
C) By restructuring it
D) All of these

Question 5

Which of these is NOT a characteristic of qualitative data?

A) Meanings are expressed in words
B) It is standardised
C) It is analysed through conceptualisation
D) It is classified into categories

Question 6

Qualitative data is associated with 'thick' and/or thorough description.

Question 7

Reproducing audio or video recordings as word-for-word written texts is called _________.

A) Transcription
B) Annotation
C) Deduction
D) Induction

Question 8

In qualitative data analysis, what does the 'data cleaning' stage involve?

A) Anonymising filenames
B) Removing non-standard data
C) Carefully checking for and removing errors
D) Transcribing audio recordings

Question 9

Analysis of qualitative data is likely to begin at the same time as collection.

Question 10

Which of these is an advantage of analysing interview data before returning to gather more?

A) It reduces bias
B) Emergent themes can be explored in subsequent interviews
C) It cleans the data before full analysis begins
D) There are no advantages, this should not be done

Question 11

A theory that is developed from your data is referred to as being ________.

A) Inductive
B) Deductive
C) Constructive
D) Conductive

Question 12

"Alison has developed a theory from the literature she has read about companies' approaches to disposing of waste electronic equipment. She draws up a list of themes, conducts some interviews and than looks to see if they appear in her data." What approach has she taken to her analysis here?

A) Inductive
B) Deductive
C) Grounded
D) Quantitative

Question 13

Which of these belongs to the 'inductive' approach to research?

A) A theoretical framework guides the analysis process
B) Existing hypotheses are tested
C) Theory emerges from data collection and analysis
D) All of these

Question 14

Qualitative analysis procedures that rely heavily on researcher interpretation are less rigorous than more formalised techniques.

Question 15

Condensing the meaning of large amounts of text into fewer words is best called _________.

A) Summarising
B) Hypothesis testing
C) Categorising
D) Structuring

Question 16

Codes or labels that you will use to group your data are part of the process of _________.

A) Summarising
B) Hypothesis testing
C) Categorising
D) Structuring

Question 17

Searching for and revising key themes in your data is at the heart of qualitative analysis.

Question 18

What do summaries, self memos and researcher diaries help you to do?

A) Better understand your data
B) Identify key themes in your data
C) Draw conclusions as you progress your research
D) All of these

Question 19

"In-vivo" codes are ________.

A) Those that you choose to represent themes in your data
B) Derived from the actual terms used by your participants
C) The best way to categorise qualitative data
D) Data units broken down into sub-units

Question 20

"Unitising" data involves _________.

A) Dividing your data into meaningful fragments or chunks
B) Dealing with each interview transcript one by one
C) Entering your data into a computer programme
D) Recognising relationships between fragments of data

Question 21

The value of quantifying your qualitative data may be limited because ________.

A) Words are better than numbers
B) You may have to reapply for ethical approval
C) Data richness will be lost
D) Quantative and qualitative approaches should never be combined

Question 22

How should propositions drawn from your data best be tested in qualitative analysis?

A) Using statistical tests
B) By looking for further confirming cases
C) By seeking alternative explanations and non-conforming data
D) By associating one variable with another

Question 23

Non-verbal information from audio or video recordings of interviews can be recorded during transcription by ________.

A) Using a system of notation
B) Changing the interviewee's words
C) Either of these
D) Neither of these, non-verbal information will always be lost

Question 24

How is a narrative structuring of qualitative data different from fragmentary approaches?

A) It is more appropriate for deductive analysis
B) It is used exclusively in participant observation
C) It should be written in the first person
D) The sequence and flow of recounted events are retained

Question 25

"________ focuses on the stories told within interviews, working on their structures and plots."

A) Discourse analysis
B) Narrative analysis
C) Testing propositions
D) Quantitative approaches

Question 26

Which of these is NOT a benefit of recording contextual information about your interview or observation data?

A) It ensures your participants are telling you the truth
B) It helps inform your analysis
C) It helps you recall details at a later date
D) It will aid in the writing up of your project report

Question 27

Which of these is NOT a deductively based approach to analysing qualitative data?

A) Pattern matching
B) Explanation building
C) Self memos
D) Template analysis

Question 28

"Predicting a set of outcomes based on theoretical propositions to explain what you expect to find." What does this sentence describe?

A) All analytical approaches
B) Grounded theory
C) Discourse analysis
D) Pattern matching

Question 29

Explanation building is different from grounded theory because ________.

A) It starts with a theoretically based proposition
B) It is a quantitative technique
C) It involves secondary data
D) It is not, they are both the same

Question 30

Summarising and categorising are only stages that are appropriate in inductive qualitative analysis.

Question 31

The use of ________ should allow a good 'fit' to develop between data and theory.

A) A deductive approach
B) An inductive approach
C) Interviews
D) Data display

Question 32

How can reducing interview transcripts to visual displays best help qualitative analysis?

A) It cleans the data of erroneous material
B) It shows you where you need to ask more questions
C) Allows connections and relationships between themes to be drawn
D) It retains the richness of the narrative data

Question 33

A hierarchical plan of codes and subcodes used to analyse data is usually called a ________.

A) Template
B) Frequency table
C) Code book
D) Pattern

Question 34

The disaggregation of data into units in Grounded Theory analysis is called ________ coding.

A) Theoretical
B) Open
C) Axial
D) Selective

Question 35

The process of reorganising relationships between data categories in Grounded Theory analysis is called ________ coding.

A) Theoretical
B) Open
C) Axial
D) Selective

Question 36

The integration of categories to produce a theory in Grounded Theory analysis is called ________ coding.

A) Theoretical
B) Open
C) Axial
D) Selective

Question 37

"Julien is undertaking an exploratory research project and has interviewed working fathers about the paternity leave provision in their organisations to find out what impacts they believe this has on their career chances. As there is very little existing research on this topic, he has gathered data without a theoretical framework." Which of the following methods of analysis would NOT be appropriate for him to use?

A) Template analysis
B) Pattern matching
C) Analytic induction
D) Discourse analysis

Question 38

"Angelo is researching consumer brand perceptions in the cosmetics industry using secondary data. Through the UK National Data Archive at Essex, he has access to the transcripts of a series of focus groups that he plans to reanalyse." Which of the following methods would NOT be appropriate for him to use?

A) Grounded theory
B) Template analysis
C) Pattern matching
D) Discourse analysis

Question 39

Which of these best describes "theoretical saturation"?

A) Selection of critical cases to research
B) Thorough construction of a theoretical framework prior to gathering data
C) A well written literature review
D) Data collection ceases to reveal new relevant data

Question 40

How do "open codes" differ from "invivo codes"?

A) They do not differ, they are the same thing
B) Open codes are broader than invivo codes
C) Open codes are labelled according to the researcher's interpretations
D) Open codes are labelled using the actual words of the interviewee

Question 41

What is described here? The creation of text, charts, flow diagrams, matrices.

A) Template analysis
B) Analytical induction
C) Data display
D) Grounded theory

Question 42

Which of these is an advantage of a deductively based position ________.

A) You are prejudging the outcome
B) Accuracy depends on good planning
C) You have a clear direction
D) Accuracy depends on a thorough examination of findings

Question 43

Here are some analytical aids (tools) you can use. Which one is likely to be the most time-consuming to create?

A) Summaries
B) Self-memos
C) Researchers diary
D) Transcripts

Question 44

In Grounded Theory, selective coding takes place before axial coding.

Question 45

Percentages on pie charts and numbers on histograms are normally used in Focus Group analysis.

Question 46

"It explores how language, in the form of talk and text, both constructs and simultaneously reproduces and/ or changes the social world rather than using it as a means to reveal the social world as a phenomenon" To what is this statement referring?

A) Analytic induction
B) Critical discourse analysis
C) Template analysis
D) An interview strategy

Question 47

Within qualitative data analysis, what is "data sampling"?

A) Selecting parts of your data to analyse
B) Choosing your research participants
C) Unitising your data
D) Testing hypotheses

Question 48

"A means to explore linkages, relationships and socially constructed explanations that naturally occur within spoken or written accounts given by research participants." What is being described here?

A) Data display
B) A focus group
C) Narrative analysis
D) CAQDAS

Question 49

Which of these is NOT an advantage of using computer software for qualitative data analysis?

A) It interprets the data for you
B) It enables a rigorous structure for your analysis
C) It permits ease of searching and interrogation
D) You can export data to other software packages

Question 50

CAQDAS is only useful if you wish to quantify your qualitative data.