Free download Introduction to Data Analysis in Qualitative Research by Asher Shkedi. Published by Independently Pub. English | 136 Pages | EPUB | ASIN: B07Q5M5V1L
Description
Qualitative research and the methods of qualitative data analysis pose complex challenges to the researcher.
As a means of dealing with the data analysis challenges, this book seeks to offer theoretical and practical instruction and supportive software to analyze data in qualitative research.
How do we actually deal with the complexity of qualitative research, with all its characteristic elements? How can we ensure that throughout the data analysis process, a balance will be maintained between the unique methodological elements of each of the research projects? Qualitative research is based on the principle of “the human as an instrument,” which seeks to utilize the researcher’s intuitive, analytical, and verbal discourse skills to conduct proper qualitative research.
However, the concept of “the human as an instrument” contains weaknesses which researchers must overcome.
These weaknesses stem from the character of intuitive skills, which respond to the research area quickly and instinctively, as well as from the nature of verbal discourse, which is broad in scope and characterized by ambiguity.
Maintaining the principle of “the human as an instrument” and at the same time overcoming its weaknesses is a difficult, if almost impossible task.
It seems that in many cases, qualitative researchers find it difficult to control such a large amount of data, and become forced to relinquish control and the reflective principle of qualitative research methodology.
These researchers find themselves relying mainly or solely on intuitive impressions.
Relying solely on intuitive impressions, interesting and challenging as they may be, does not meet the standards of research, but completely blurs the line between research and literary, artistic or journalistic works.
In other cases, the difficulty of dealing with the great expanse of data has led researchers to give up the principles of closeness, involvement and empathy, and thus lose the essence of qualitative research.
Using supportive software for qualitative analysis will help the researchers cope with these difficulties.