Table Of Content

Qualitative Analysis Douglas Ezzy Social Research Today edited by Martin Bulmer The Social Research Today series provides concise and contempo rary introductions to significant methodological topics in the social sciences. Covering both quantitative and qualitative methods, this new series features readable and accessible books from some of the leading names in the field and is aimed at students and professional researchers alike. This series also brings together for the first time the best titles from the old Social Research Today and Contemporary Social Research series edited by Martin Bulmer for UCL Press and Routledge. Other series titles include: Principles of Research Design in the Social Sciences Frank Bechhofer and Lindsay Paterson Social Impact Assessment Henk Becker The Turn to Biographical Methods in Social Science edited by Prue Chamberlayne, Joanna Bornat and Tom Wengraf Quantity and Quality in Social Research Alan Bryman Research Methods and Organisational Studies Alan Bryman Field Research: A Sourcebook and Field Manual Robert G Burgess In the Field:An Introduction to Field Research Robert G Burgess Research Design second edition Catherine Hakim Measuring Health and Medical Outcomes edited by Crispin Jenkinson Methods of Criminological Research Victor JuPP Information Technology for the Social Scientist edited by Raymond MLee An Introduction to the Philosophy of Social Research Tim May and Malcolm Williams Researching Social and Economic Change: The Uses of Household Panel Studies edited by David Rose Surveys in Social Research fifth edition David de Vaus Researching the Powerful in Education edited by Geoffrey Walford Martin Bulmer is Professor of Sociology and co-director of the Institute of Social Research at the University of Surrey. He is also Academic Director of the Question Bank in the ESRC Centre for Applied Social Surveys, London. Qualitative Analysis Practice and innovation Douglas Ezzy ~l Routledge i ~ Taylor & Francis Group LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 2002 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OXI4 4RN Simultaneously published in Australia and New Zealand by Allen & Unwin Ltd, 270 Madison Ave, New York NY 10016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group Transferred to Digital Printing 2011 © 2002 Douglas Ezzy Typeset by Midland Typesetters, Victoria, Australia All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0-415-28126-1 (hbk) ISBN 0-415-2S127-X (pbk) Publisher's Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original may be apparent. Ta Jill) wha first taught me the value af listening ta the 'ather), This page intentionally left blank Contents List of figures ix Introduction xi Acknowledgments XVll 1. Theory and data: a hermeneutic approach 1 What is theory? 2 Interpretation in everyday life 5 Symbolic interactionism and grounded theory 7 Deductive theory building 7 Simplistic inductive theory building 10 Grounded theory: a sophisticated model 12 Induction,deduction,abduction 13 Postmodernism 15 Feminist standpoint methodology 20 Hermeneutics 23 Summary reflections 29 Further reading 31 2. Politics, rigour and ethics 33 The policy process 34 Examples of applied qualitative research 39 Feminism and participatory action research 43 The value of qualitative methods 44 The unavoidably political consequences of research 46 Rigour and ethics 50 Summary reflections 57 Further reading 58 3. Data analysis during data collection 60 Integrating data collection and data analysis 61 Techniques for integrating analysis and collection 64 Team meetings and peer debriefing 65 Checking interpretations with participants 68 Transcribing, reading and coding early data 70 Journals and memos 71 Sampling and saturation 74 vii Qualitative Analysis Including participants in all aspects of the research 75 Summary reflections 77 Further reading 78 4. Coding data and interpreting text: methods of analysis 80 Content analysis 82 Coding in thematic analysis and grounded theory 86 Narrative analysis 95 Cultural studies and semiotics 101 Summary reflections 109 Further reading 110 5. Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis 111 Computer-assisted content analysis 113 Interpretive analysis 115 When to use a computer package 116 Coding 121 Retrieval 127 Choosing a CAQDAS program 129 Learning to use a CAQDAS program 130 Potential problems with CAQDAS 132 Summary reflections 135 Further reading 136 6. Writing about qualitative data 138 The process of writing: time, reflection and rhythm 140 Identify your audience 143 Writing styles 144 The use of exemplars 147 Objectivity and the representational crisis 148 Experimental writing 151 Including the personal experience of the researcher 153 The ethics of writing about others 156 The political implications of categorising people 157 Academic publications and community reporting 160 Summary reflections 161 Further reading 162 Concluding reflections 164 Bibliography 167 Index 183 Vlll List off igures Figure 1.1 Interpretation in everyday life 6 Figure 1.2 Deductive theory buliding 8 Figure 1.3 Simplistic inductive theory building 11 Figure 1.4 Grounded theory: a sophisticated model 13 Figure 1.5 Radical postmodernism 18 Figure 1.6 Standpoint epistemology 21 Figure 1.7 Hermeneutics 26 Figure 3.1 Relationships between data analysis and data collection 62 IX