I have conducted interviews, sat in on team meetings, observed classes, etc. with an interdisciplinary team of four in a H.S. What turns out to be the intersesting story is their restructuring due to the loss of their founding member. My trouble lies in the data-analysis. I'm having trouble with coding and categories. I've read a little on group dynamiccs and am reading Goffman's Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Yet, I'm stuck in the analysis.
Can anyone suggest ways to code this data, categories, or anthing else? I am a Ph.D. student and this is my pilot study. I'm open to any kind of feedback.
Thanks, Sally Kahr University at Albany Language in Ed.
>I have conducted interviews, sat in on team meetings, observed classes, >etc. with an interdisciplinary team of four in a H.S. What turns out to >be the intersesting story is their restructuring due to the loss of their >founding member. My trouble lies in the data-analysis. I'm having >trouble with coding and categories. I've read a little on group dynamiccs >and am reading Goffman's Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Yet, I'm >stuck in the analysis.
>Can anyone suggest ways to code this data, categories, or >anthing else? I am a Ph.D. student and this is my pilot study. I'm open >to any kind of feedback.
I think the appropiate categories for your study lies on the hypothesis and relevant variables that you and your team have established. It has to do with the theoretic concepts you borrow from other authors and with the "indicators" you selected. Anyway some "demographic" categories are always useful to classify your data and/or informants (such as sex, age, religion ... you know). I think more specific suggestions cant't be made without a closer knowledge of your research.
************************************************ Pablo Gustavo Rodriguez Lic. en Antropologia Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) Email: swall...@isis.unlp.edu.ar Tel (phone): 054-021-715245 Domicilio: calle 10 s/n entre 495 y 496 (1897) Gonnet, (Bs. As.), Argentina
Sally - You may be past this point already, but based on Yvonna Lincoln's work, I placed my data on cards and "sorted" the cards by comparing the information on the cards. The categories emerge from the groupings of cards. You may find that you need to sort the cards many times before you find the right fit. I sorted cards over and over before I found the categories which I thought to be the themes of my study. To get started you might think of an aspect, as you mentioned the leader, which sticks out as a predominate theme and sort based on that beginning point. You may find however that there are other themes which you did not anticipate. You do not need to have any preconceived ideas about the themes or categories before you begin to sort your data. The data will tell you. Becky Carr
>Sally Kahn: >At 19:17 11/04/97 -0400, you wrote: >>I have conducted interviews, sat in on team meetings, observed classes, >>etc. with an interdisciplinary team of four in a H.S. What turns out to >>be the intersesting story is their restructuring due to the loss of their >>founding member. My trouble lies in the data-analysis. I'm having >>trouble with coding and categories. I've read a little on group dynamiccs >>and am reading Goffman's Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Yet, I'm >>stuck in the analysis.
>>Can anyone suggest ways to code this data, categories, or >>anthing else? I am a Ph.D. student and this is my pilot study. I'm open >>to any kind of feedback.
> >Sally Kahn: > >At 19:17 11/04/97 -0400, you wrote: > >>I have conducted interviews, sat in on team meetings, observed classes, > >>etc. with an interdisciplinary team of four in a H.S. What turns out to > >>be the intersesting story is their restructuring due to the loss of their > >>founding member. My trouble lies in the data-analysis. I'm having > >>trouble with coding and categories. I've read a little on group dynamiccs > >>and am reading Goffman's Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Yet, I'm > >>stuck in the analysis.
> >>Can anyone suggest ways to code this data, categories, or > >>anthing else? I am a Ph.D. student and this is my pilot study. I'm open > >>to any kind of feedback.
Let me explain a little more to the problem that I'm encountering so that someone may be able to help:
I think a story is being told thru my teachers, and I think I know the story line. What I don't know is a)do I have to subject their story to a micro-analysis and coding process in order to "validate" the story that I will tell? b) if I do, because analysis is the means thru which we are able to make claims, how do I reconcile narrative to a coding system?
What is the most useful way to analyze a narrative?
Thanks, Sally Kahr Still struggling University at ALbany
In article <v01510100af792f423a87@[165.91.96.16]>, Becky Carr (bc...@tamu.edu) writes: >Sally - You may be past this point already, but based on Yvonna Lincoln's >work, I placed my data on cards and "sorted" the cards by comparing the >information on the cards. The categories emerge from the groupings of >cards. You may find that you need to sort the cards many times before you >find the right fit. I sorted cards over and over before I found the >categories which I thought to be the themes of my study. To get started >you might think of an aspect, as you mentioned the leader, which sticks out >as a predominate theme and sort based on that beginning point. You may >find however that there are other themes which you did not anticipate. You >do not need to have any preconceived ideas about the themes or categories >before you begin to sort your data. The data will tell you. Becky Carr
If you are into computers you might want to try a computerised parallel of Becky Carr's approach. The NUDIST software is very good for taking the drudgery out of this kind of early days qualitative analysis.
