Major Assignment 2: The Analysis and Interpretation of Qualitative Data

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review the readings and the media programs in this week’s Learning Resources related to coding and analyzing the data.

Part 3: Results

During this course, you have coded your two Scholars of Change videos, you have conducted and coded your phone interview, and you have gathered data from the Walden social change website and any other documents or websites you might have included. For this Part 3 of your Major Assignment, you will write up the results of your findings. You will include the following in your write-up:

1. Data Sources—briefly describe each data source including location, duration of data collection, how data were recorded, and unusual circumstances.
   • Two Scholars of Change videos
   • One phone interview
   • Resources from the Walden social change website
2. Instrumentation—briefly describe the type of instrumentation you used for your data collection.
   • Who developed each data collection tool and what is the date of publication?
   • Where and with which participant group has it been used previously?
   • How appropriate is it for current study and include whether modifications will be or were needed?
3. Data Analysis—based on the data sources in “A.”, provide a detailed analysis to include the following:
   • Report the process used to move inductively from coded units to larger representations including categories and themes.
   • Describe the specific codes, categories, and themes that emerged from the data using quotations as needed to emphasize their importance.
     1. 1st cycle—describe, give examples.
     2. 2nd cycle—describe, give examples/moving from codes to categories.
     3. Identify themes—provide examples and illustrate your results with a figure or a chart.

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Saldaña, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

• Chapter 1, “An Introduction to Codes and Coding (pp. 1–42) (previously read in Weeks 5, 6, and 7)
• Chapter 2, “Writing Analytic Memos About Narrative and Visual Data” (pp. 43–65) (previously read in Weeks 5, 6, and 7)

Ravitch, S. M., & Carl, N. M. (2021). Qualitative research: Bridging the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological (2nd ed.) Sage Publications.

• Chapter 5, “Methods of Data Collection” (pp. 124–163) (previously read in Week 7)
• Chapter 8, “An Integrative Approach to Data Analysis” (pp. 233–252)
• Chapter 9, “Methods and Processes of Data Analysis (pp. 254–294)

Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (2012). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

• Chapter 12, “Data Analysis in the Responsive Interviewing Model” (pp. 189–211) (previously read in Weeks 5, 6, and 7)
• Chapter 14, “Personal Reflections on Responsive Interviewing”

Document: Excel Video Coding Document Template (Excel spreadsheet)

Review this Excel template as you view this week’s media program related to coding. Also, you will use this template for reorganizing and reanalyzing data.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2016). Second cycle coding [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.

In this media program, Dr. Susan Marcus, Core Research Faculty with the School of Psychology at Walden University, introduces second cycle coding. She discusses the purpose of reorganizing and reanalyzing data from first cycle coding. She will also demonstrate using this method.

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