SRA Training

Introduction to Qualitative Data Analysis
Summary:	Qualitative data are often voluminous, unwieldy and tangled - ‘an attractive nuisance’ as Huberman once remarked. This highly practical course provides a map of different approaches to QDA but then focuses on thematic analysis, a cross-sectional, substantive (rather than structural) method. Talks and practical workshops take participants through the process of data management (in which themes or codes are identified and applied to the data) and of generating descriptive findings. The day is more appropriate for those whose data are in the form of in-depth interviews, focus groups or field notes, rather than open-ended responses to questionnaire items.
Objectives:	By the end of the workshop, delegates will: be familiar with key principles of good analytical practice understand the objectives and procedures used in different analytical approaches have both theoretical and practical knowledge of the key stages of data management and generation of findings discover for themselves what rigorous and transparent analysis involves
Topics:	Content includes: an overview of different approaches to qualitative data analysis manual and computer assisted approaches key stages of data management, including the generation, revision and application of a thematic framework / set of codes data reduction descriptive analysis
Who will benefit?	Researchers who have already collected some qualitative data (semi-structured / in-depth interviews or focus groups) or who are familiar with what such data look like. Commissioners and evaluators qualitative research projects
Learning outcomes:	Participants will gain a good understanding of different stages in qualitative data analysis, and will have practised devising, refining and applying a thematic framework to samples of qualitative data conducting some descriptive analysis.
Course tutor:	Liz Spencer is a Sociologist and an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences who has specialised in qualitative methods since 1973. She has held research posts at a number of British universities, including the London School of Economics, The London Graduate School of Business Studies, and the University of Essex, and was a Research Director at the National Centre for Social Research. She teaches a range of courses for the Social Research Association and for the Universities of Hong Kong and Essex, and has been a Visiting Professor at the Institute for Higher Studies in Vienna. Currently Liz is a Research Associate of the Institute for Social and Economic Research as well as an independent research consultant. Her recent methodological publications include chapters in Qualitative Research Practice and a report for the Cabinet Office on judging the quality of qualitative research and evaluation. Together with Jane Ritchie, she pioneered ‘Framework’, a matrix-based approach to data management and display
Date & Location:	13th January 2011, Registration 09:00-9:30 to 16:30 Location: Royal Asiatic Society, London
Programme	Download Programme and booking form (doc)