Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Chapter 20: Analysis in Naturalistic Inquiry

Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Naturalistic Design Analytical Strategy 2 stages of Analysis 1 st stage: occurs at the exact moment the investigator enters the virtual, conceptual, or physical field 2 nd stage: follows the conclusion of fieldwork and involves a more formal review and analysis of all the information that has been collected

3 Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc.  Analytical strategies can range from extremely unstructured, such as in phenomenology, heuristic approaches to tightly structured, as in grounded theory  May incorporate numerical descriptions  Vary in their degree of interpretation from none to extensive

4 Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Co-Occurrence of Obtaining and Analyzing Information  Data collection and analysis go hand in hand  Both occur simultaneously throughout a study

5 Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Logic, Process, and Structure  Inductive or abductive logic  Inductive: theory generating  Abductive: theory selecting and fitting  Structure is variable depending on purpose, type of design, and, in some cases, how the data unfold  Process  Iterative (repetitive)  Ongoing

6 Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Process and Sequence  Enter “field”  Record observations and interactions  Create a formal data set  Review and re-review data (transcripts of narratives, images, etc.) until themes or categories emerge (themes are repetitive ideas or statements that can be classified into categories)

7 Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Process and Sequence (continued)  Name categories  All data should be able to fit into categories that you induce. If not, revise the categories  Determine if you can locate categories under a larger umbrella and name it

8 Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Find the Nuances  Look for thematic variations and name them  (e.g., all airplanes have wings but some are large, their power differs, and they have different interior configurations)  All courses are intended to teach students new learning Content differs: some address theory and some address skill acquisition Content differs: some address theory and some address skill acquisition Structures are different: lectures, distance, field Structures are different: lectures, distance, field

9 Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Find the Meaning  What does each category denote?  Airplane size is related to geography, value hierarchy of destination, and economic potential of each route  Class content is hierarchical within the department: some content is more important to faculty than others and displays the academic culture  Class structure is shaped by academic capitalism, instructor skill with technology, and accreditation standards

10 Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Taxonomic Analysis: Finding Relationships and Inducing Theory  Look for relationships among the categories and draw a visual map  Label constructs, relationships, principles, and theory that emerge observed theory

Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Taxonomy A taxonomy is a system of categories and relationships AKA typologies and mindmaps Involves 2 processes: ORGANIZING OR GROUPING SIMILAR OR RELATED CATEGORIES INTO LARGER CATEGORIES IDENTIFYING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SETS OF SUBCATEGORIES AND LARGER OR OVERARCHING CATEGORIES

Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Stage 2 Formal Report Preparation This final stage of the process is more formal and analytical in nature Objective: to consolidate the iinvestigator’s understandings and impressions by writing one or more manuscripts, a final report, or even a book In this stage the investigator re-examines materials, and refines categories and themes in order to derive an interpretation

Copyright © 2011, 2005, 1998, 1993 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Techniques to Enhance Credibility of analysis Triangulation Saturation Member checking Reflexivity Audit trail Peer debriefing