With a developing understanding of research designs and data collection
methods, you can now begin to understand the concept of qualitative
data analysis and select an appropriate data analysis method. This
week, you will demonstrate your understanding of qualitative data
analysis methods, as well as the appropriate application as prescribed
by qualitative research principles. This assignment includes several
prompts, and there is an option regarding presentation (essay, set of
blog posts, or PowerPoint presentation). As with Week 3, in line with the
principles of Andragogy, offering you a presentation choice will
accommodate your individual preferences and abilities.
This week, you are provided with an explanation of how to structure a
presentation (Spotlight on Skills). Remember, slides are visual aids to
support what you would say during a presentation. This resource will
help you to compose your slides in a way that effectively balances
visuals and text. You are also provided with an explanation of how to
create a blog entry (Spotlight on Skills). Note that a blog (shortening of
“weblog”) is a set of online informational posts, with a writer
communicating their views on a subject in a conversational manner.
Blogging is typically used for teaching and educational purposes.
You have covered a lot of material these past 4 weeks. Now, you have
an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of qualitative
methodology and designs through a true/false knowledge check.
Correctly answering all of these quiz items will earn you a badge!
For this week’s assignment, you will consider a data analysis method
that aligns with the qualitative research design for a potential study that
you proposed in Week 2. Address each of the following four prompts as
an essay, series of blog posts, or presentation:
■ Explain your proposed method of data analysis in detail, and how
this method aligns with your chosen research design.
■ Discuss what you see as the advantages and potential challenges
of the proposed method.
■ Explain how you will code data, by providing examples to illustrate
your analysis process. Based on your topic and research design as
explored in Week 2, develop a mock coding scheme that includes
a preliminary set of start codes. These codes can come from the
relevant literature on your topic, or you can come up with some
ideas based on your own experience.
■ Whether you choose to engage in a manual coding process to
analyze your research data or to use NVivo (the data analysis
software that is available to you through the University), there are
some features regarding coding and analysis that are common to
both approaches. Explain in what ways you think manual coding
and software coding will be similar and/or different? State your
preference, explaining the reasons for your choice.
