TERM PAPER ON Data Analysis Styles for Qualitative Research

Course Name: Advanced Research Methodology

Course Code: LL.B 307

Date of Submission: 16 April 2022

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Preeti Kana Sikder Md. Ashikur Rahman
Assistant Professor 3rd Year
Department of Law & Justice
Roll: 1896
Jahangirnagar UniversityDepartment of Law & Justice
Jahangirnagar University

Qualitative Data Analysis is the analysis of qualitative data as opposed to quantitative data analysis. It is
the most skilled task of all stages of research. Data analysis is a technique for attaining raw data and
converting it into information useful for decision making by consumer. Basically, qualitative analysis
consists of collection and analysis of qualitative data or non-statistical data to understand concepts,
opinions and manuscript. The main goal of this analysis is to turn raw data into information, to
categorically summarize and explain data or to response to the research problem.

Qualitative data is the non-numeric data that can be perceived but cannot be measured quantitatively.
Focus group discussion, interviews, observation, journals, unstructured interviews, unstructured
observations, archival documents, case studies etc. are some of the sources of qualitative analysis.
Qualitative Data Analysis performs its role without any help of quantification.

For Instance: Colours, textures, smells, tastes, appearance, beauty, etc. which can be perceived by sense
organ but cannot be measured.

Common Data Analysis Styles for Qualitative Research

 Content Analysis
 Narrative Analysis
 Thematic Analysis

Content Analysis-

Researchers know what they would look for in the data and then start with a code book and plough
through the data identifying the themes or patterns and their frequency and relationship. It emerges
categories or theme on the basis of selection of words and concepts inductively. Text can be books,
interviews, peaches, websites, essays and many other related materials. It uses when the study purpose is
to look for frequency of words, patterns & sometimes sequence of occurrence of those words.

Thematic Analysis-

Thematic analysis is commonly used and it works as a foundational method for

qualitative data analysis. The purpose of thematic analysis is to look for frequency of words,
patterns & sometimes sequence of occurrence. It generally tends to identify, analyze and report theme out
of raw data. Researcher reads and rereads data again and again, writes down initial ideas and codes in his
code-book, looks for themes, pulls together the codes, revises themes as reading continues, defines and
labels each of the themes. When we need a clear picture of data through themes, we use thematic data
analysis. Steps involved in it are:
 1. Familiarizing with data
2. Generating initial codes
3. Organization of codes (combine similar)
4. Searching for themes
5. Reviewing Themes
6. Defining & naming themes

Codes:

Active, willing, accountable, responsible, motivated.

Themes inferred from the codes:

Individual Participation.

Narrative Analysis-

Narrative researcher reads participant's stories, summarizing key elements and narrating the story in a
chronological manner in terms of time and context so that it is understood by general public. Here
researcher identifies language that may express emotion and comparison is done in a 'case-by-case' basis.
Narrative analysis examines how participants construct their stories based on personal experiences
encompassing personal stories, life stories, significant events and situations. This analysis mainly
identifies non-verbal expressions, pauses, filler-words, non-verbal signs and non-verbal gestures.

Other Data Analysis Styles for Qualitative Research

1. Grounded analysis or constant comparison analysis
2. Discourse analysis
3. Phenomenology/ Heuristic analysis

Grounded analysis or constant comparison analysis-

Grounded analysis is also called constant comparison analysis which is very deep and detailed in nature.
The purpose of this analysis is to formulate theory or a framework. Steps in grounded analysis:

1. Taking multiple interviews

2. Writing diary on field notes
3. Collecting other documents, pictures etc.
After initial coding, the researcher compares codes to find consistencies and differences. After that the
researcher will find important events, persons, situations and thereby formulates themes.

Discourse Analysis-

Discourse analysis is a terminology for a range of qualitative research methods used in analyzing the
use of language in social contexts. Researchers employ these techniques to understand the world by
investigating the underlying meaning of what people say and how they say it, whether in face-to-face
interaction, documents, non-verbal conversation, or images.

For example, qualitative researchers may examine how people in a given setting use a particular word
to understand their background or the effects other people have on them. Likewise, researchers may
deconstruct and analyze words written centuries ago to understand the writer’s situation and get some
general evidence about the writer’s society at that particular time.

In general, discourse analysis involves the examination of language beyond the sentence to understand
how it functions in a social context. Some of the materials researchers use for discourse analysis
include books, newspapers, marketing materials, government documents, conversations, and
interviews.

Phenomenology/ Heuristic analysis

Heuristic research aims at the search for the discovery of meanings and essence in significant human
experiences, focusing more on the process than on the results. In the search to understand the nature of a
phenomenon, the researcher is invited to be an instrument through self-reflection and self-discovery. Self-
discovery, self-dialog, and self-investigation are an integral part of the research process to uncover a
phenomenon. The researcher becomes involved with the research in such a way as to perceive and
understand it in a new way. When investigating, for example, the meaning of enthusiasm, it must become
one's companion, a constant presence in one's thoughts, relationships, and reflections.

Suitable data analysis style for Qualitative Legal Research

Legal doctrine is a multifaceted discipline so is legal research. Legal discipline indeed requires different
data analysis styles for different types of research. It’s really difficult to circumscribe whole arena of legal
research within one data analysis style.

Now I attempt to describe how the abovementioned data analysis styles are pertinent in different types of
legal research:

Content analysis style in legal research with reasoning

When the research topic is clear to the researcher and researcher needs to formulate codes, summarize
categorically, identify frequency of concepts from the contents, then the researcher uses content analysis
style in legal research. For example, when a legal researcher researches about International Trade Law,
the content for his research will be relevant trade related international law, famous journals and articles
and he will formulate codes and find frequency of concepts in that given sets of data.

Thematic analysis style in legal research with reasoning

In thematic analysis style, the main object is to find people’s experiences, opinions, views and make a
pattern from the data. It’s an exploratory process where large data is converted into groups based on
similarity or theme. For example, when the researcher researches about people’s experiences, views about
a particular law and makes patterns out of those experiences and views then thematic analysis style is
used.

Narrative analysis style in legal research with reasoning

In terms of narrative analysis, the purpose is to derive the real meaning from the analysis of people’s
interviews or perspective and how they talk. Here, the researcher deals with the reality and get sense of
the world. For example, in a prisoner’s interview, the researcher uses narrative analysis style to
incorporate prisoner’s perspective in the justice system.

Discourse analysis style in legal research with reasoning

When the research object is to perceive meaning from the language or speech of a particular context then
discourse analysis will be effective. Here, the culture and history is important to understand the
conversation. For example, when a researcher researches about a law of a particular community, the
researcher uses discourse analysis.

Grounded analysis style in legal research with reasoning

In the grounded analysis method, the intention of the researcher is to create new theory or hypothesis
from the data in hand. In grounded analysis, the theory or hypothesis develops from the data but not from
preconceived idea. For example, where there is a necessity of making a new law or legal theory, the
researcher uses grounded analysis style.

Heuristic analysis style in legal research with reasoning

Heuristic analysis occurs when the research is about analyzing people’s personal interpretations of a life
event, the researcher may go for heuristic analysis style. Depth of experience needs to be assured while
coding the data. For example, when researching about the personal experiences of rape victims or
personal experiences of refugees, heuristic analysis style is used.

Conclusion
No particular qualitative research style is perfect in every aspects, researcher needs to be aware of the
limitations. The researcher has to choose any one of the research styles depending on research problems,
aims, objects and how researcher is trying to build the legal research.