1. Using Technology in the
Qualitative Research Process
Carla Piper, Ed. D.
Brandman University

2. Types of Technology
 On-line research, communication, and
collaboration
 Word Processing – type and save text
files digitally
 Code and analyze text in Ethnograph
 Spreadsheet - Excel
 Create charts and graphs demonstrated
results of study
 Provide visual representation of data
 Powerpoint multimedia presentation of
results of the study for colleagues

3. Word Processing
 Create digital files of all text generated
in study
 Field Journal Entries
 Reflections/Memos
 Observations/Notetaking/Descriptions
 Survey Results
 Interview Transcriptions
 Audio and Video Transcriptions
 E-mail/Phone Communications
 Select “save as text” – available for all
computer formats

4. Spreadsheets & Presentations
Computer Activity
8 + hours
6-7 hours
4-5 hours
2-3 hours
1 hour
Software Usage
58%
17%
8%
67%
83%
75%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
E-Mail WWW SS/DB
Graphics/MM Research Word Processing
 Integrating data with:
Excel
Powerpoint

5. Ethnograph 5.0
 Complex program with many
dimensions and possible levels of use
 Used for extensive long-term studies
when a variety of information is
gathered from multiple sources -
sociological, health, ethnographic,
educational, socio-economic, etc.
 Helps to understand what is really
happening with individuals in a
particular society
Seidell (1998)

6. Qualitative Research
Paradigm
 Inductive Process
 Naturalistic Inquiry
 Discover critical themes and patterns as they
emerge from the data
 Seek out details to understand diverse and
unique experiences of each individual
 Examine multiple realities
 Exploratory in nature
 Requires non-standardized methods of
investigation
Patton – 1980 & 1990
Lincoln & Guba - 1985

7. Human as Instrument
 Can interact with the situation
 Can be responsive to environmental clues
 Can provide immediate feedback
 Can request verification of data
 Collects information at multiple levels
simultaneously
 Explores atypical or unexpected responses
 Processes data as soon as they become
available
 Maintains “empathetic neutrality” Patton, 1980
Lincoln & Guba, 1985
Hoepfl, 1997

8. Trustworthiness of Study
 Triangulation of multiple sources of data
 Maintain an audit trail
 Establish dependability and confirmability of
the study
 Hard copies, disks, audio/video tapes,
interview transcriptions, etc.
 Maintain process notes – researcher’s
diary, memos, field observations, etc.
 Record intentions and dispositions
 Develop valid instruments – interviews,
surveys, questionnaires
Patton - 1980

9. Appropriate Analysis
“Working with data, organizing it,
breaking it into manageable units,
synthesizing it, searching for
patterns, discovering what is
important and what is to be
learned, and deciding what you will
tell others"
Bogdan and Biklen (1982)

10. QDA - Qualitative Data Analysis
 Noticing
 Producing a record of what you notice
 As you notice, you code with descriptive
meanings
 Collecting – sorting, classifying,
synthesizing, summarizing, indexing
 Thinking
 Making sense out the pieces
 Looking for patterns and relationships
 Making general discoveries
Seidell, 1998 – Ethnograph Author

11. The Cycle – Constant Spiral
Notice Things
Collect
Things
Think About
Things

12. “A little bit of data and a lot of
right brain”
“The critical way of seeing, in my
experience at least, comes out of
numerous cycles through a little bit of
data, massive amounts of thinking
about the data, and slippery things like
intuition and serendipity.” Agar, 1991

13. Ethnograph helps you…
 Compile
 Import data files
 Reformats text – 40 character/hanging indent
 Numbers each line of the text
 Organize
 Code data files
 Add contextual comments, identifiers, memos
 Identify and name interesting things
 Manipulate
 Search for coded segments
 Bring order to the data
 “Sort and sift”
 Compare and contrast

14. Basic Process
 Create new project (with “child” sub
projects)
 Import ALL typed text into project
 Code and index text
 Look for emerging topics of interest
 Create a hierarchical family codebook
indexing key terms
 Search codes to find, count, examine,
and organize data segments

15. Create or Open Project

16. Example of Text Import
(+) identifier
(:) contextual
comment

17. Coded Text
! – Hyper
# - Templates
$ - Design
% - Artifacts
% - Objectives

18. Family Tree Codebook

19. Code Counts

20. Searching Options

21. Searching Code Words

22. Search Options

23. Searching Segments

24. Searching for Specific
Reference to Code Words

25. Frequency Counts

26. Face and Identifier Sheets

27. Carla Piper, Ed. D.
Home Page Index
http://www.chapman.edu/univcoll/faculty/piper