Qualitative Data Analysis 1

Prof. Paré is such a passionate and supportive instructor. Her excellent pedagogical skills and clearly structured presentations made it easy for me to follow in spite of my limited background in qualitative research. — participant from the Philippines

This course provides participants with a solid methodological foundation and applied skills to plan, conduct and report qualitative data analysis in their research in a transparent and auditable way. More specifically, participants will learn to appraise the influence that research design has on qualitative analysis, to apply best practices - and avoid key mistakes - when coding qualitative data, to choose between different strategies to transform qualitative data into findings, to assess the trustworthiness of the qualitative conclusions, and present their findings using evocative visualisations. These topics are explored through lectures, group work and applied exercise in NVivo.

This course is the first part of a two-course sequence. Part two (cf. Qualitative Data Analysis 2) takes qualitative data analysis to the next level by introducing participant to conduct four qualitative methodologies widely used in the social sciences in NVivo. In turn, they will learn the sampling requirements, coding procedures, analytical strategies and data display conventions for qualitative content analysis, thematic analysis, cross-case analysis and grounded theory.

Part 1 and Part 2 of these courses can be taken independently of each other. ie. Part 1 can be taken without taking Part 2, and Part 2 can be taken without taking Part 1.

Course modality

Due to the popularity of this course, it’s taught twice in morning and afternoon classes. The morning class is taught onsite at NUS and the afternoon class is taught online. Both modalities cover the same content, so do enrol on only the onsite or online class.

Dates (On-site Class)

This one-week, 17.5-hour course runs Monday-Friday, 30 June - 4 July, 2025. The course is scheduled for 9:00 am - 12.30 pm.

Classroom Location

Faculty of Arts and Social Science

Dates (Online Class)

This one-week, 17.5-hour online course runs every day from Monday-Friday, 30 June - 4 July, 2025 from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm SGT on Zoom. Before each online class, participants are requested to watch pre-recorded lectures on Canvas which cover the theoretical basis of each day. Participants must attend all five online classes as no recordings will be made available.

Instructor

Marie-Hélène Paré, The Qualitative Analyst

Detailed Description

Are you planning to conduct interviews or focus groups, collect policy papers or social media data, or observe meetings, rallies or other events as part of your data collection? If you do any of the above, you will sooner or later have to face and analyse the mass of data you gathered. But will you know how?

This course provides qualitative researchers with strategic understanding of, and applied skills in, planning, conducting and reporting qualitative data analysis in their research. It addresses central issues often omitted in mainstream qualitative textbooks and qualitative research seminars, such as:

What criteria should be used when choosing a qualitative data analysis method? How central is the research question in that choice? After I’ve coded all my data, what should I do next? How do I transform my data into findings by seeking patterns and identifying relationships across themes and cases? The course teaches these topics and more and puts them into practice during hands-on exercises in NVivo software.

The course follows the logical sequence of a qualitative research project. In turn, you will learn the role that research design (ontology, epistemology and methodology) plays in the choice of a method of qualitative analysis, applying different approaches for coding qualitative data, choosing between different strategies to transform qualitative data into findings, assessing the trustworthiness of qualitative results, and present qualitative findings using clear and evocative visualisations for academic as well as government audiences.

The course blends lectures, group work, and hands-on exercises in NVivo software, allowing participants to put theory into practice. However, note that this is a method course and not an NVivo software course, as only the basic features of NVivo will be taught. If you wish to become an advanced NVivo user, consider enrolling in an NVivo course.

To attend the course, a basic understanding of qualitative research is required. However, previous knowledge of qualitative data analysis or NVivo is not needed. This course can benefit anyone conducting qualitative research as part of a PhD or post-doctorate research in the social sciences, third sector or government department.

Prerequisites

To attend the course, a basic understanding of qualitative research is required, however, previous knowledge of qualitative data analysis or NVivo is not required. This course is of interest, and can benefit anyone, conducting qualitative research as part of a PhD or post-doctorate research in the social sciences, third sector or government department.

Requirements

Participants are expected to have access to an internet-connected computer. You must run NVivo 15 (or NVivo R1 (13) or NVivo 14) to attend the course, but not earlier versions (NVivo 10 or 12) since these have different interfaces and menus. If your institution does not provide you with an NVivo license, you must download the NVivo 14-day free trial here. The trial is fully operational but can't be reinstalled on the same computer once expired.

Please ensure that NVivo works well on your laptop, and consult the QSR International website for self-help resources or to submit a support request if you experience installation problems.

Core Readings

Bazeley, Patricia. 2009. Analysing Qualitative Data. More than 'Identifying Themes'. Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research 2: 6-22.

Bazeley, Patricia. 2013. Qualitative Data Analysis. Practical Strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Blaikie, Norman W. H. 2010. Designing Social Research. 2^nd edition. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Coffey, Amanda J., and Paul A. Atkinson. 1996. Making Sense of Qualitative Data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Miles, Matthew B., and A. Michael Huberman. 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis. An Expanded Sourcebook. 2^nd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Ritchie, Jane, Jane Lewis, Carol McNaughton-Nicholls, and Rachel Ormston, eds. 2014. Qualitative Research Practice. A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Saldaña, Johnny. 2009. The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Tesch, Renata. 1990. Qualitative Research. Analysis Types and Software Tools. New York, NY: Routledge.