Introduction ESDS Qualidata John Southall ESDS Creating and delivering re-usable qualitative data 24...
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Transcript of Introduction ESDS Qualidata John Southall ESDS Creating and delivering re-usable qualitative data 24...
Introduction ESDS Qualidata
John SouthallESDS
Creating and delivering re-usable qualitative data24 June 2004
ESDS Qualidata
Qualitative data collections
• data from National Research Council (ESRC) individual and programme research grant awards
• data from ‘classic’ social science studies
• other funders/sources
• focus on DIGITAL Collections, but also facilitate paper-based archiving
Types of qualitative data
• diverse data types: in-depth interviews ; semi-structured interviews; focus groups; oral histories; mixed methods data; open-ended survey questions; case notes/records of meetings; diaries/ research diaries
• multimedia: audio, video, photos and text (most common is interview transcriptions)
• formats: digital, paper, analogue audio-visual
Classic datasets
• Peter Townsend – Poverty, old ageand Katherine Buildings
• Paul Thompson – oral history and Edwardians
• Ray Pahl – Hertfordshire Villages studies
• National Social Policy and Social Change Archive
Diverse uses for existing data
• enrich context description
• how was it really done documentation of methods– team ‘discussions’ about coding– what, exactly, is ‘semi-structured’?
• augment data you collect– historical comparative case– expand sample size
• datasets for teaching
Is it always re-usable?
• restrictions on secondary analysis
• accessible
• coherent
• format– medium– layout
• processing before delivery
Good archiving = good research
• thorough documentation
• well organised and labelled files
• major stages of research recorded
• consent, copyright and related issues clarified
Characteristics of a good archived research collection
• intellectual content
• extensive raw data created
• supporting documentation
• consent
• transcription
• identifiers removed
• listing
Intellectual content
• builds on previous research
• addresses new issues
• innovative approach to discipline
• innovative approach to qualitative methodology
Extensive raw data
• types of research data assembled
– in-depth interviews– focus groups– field notes/participant observation– case study notes
• images and sound recordings
• range of material – broad focus
Supporting documentation
• examples– funding application– description of methodology– communication with informants on confidentiality– coding schemes/themes– technical details of equipment – interview schedules– end of award report– documentation from CAQDAS software packages, e.g.
analytical memos– bibliographies, resulting publications
• anything that adds insight or aids understanding and re-use
Transcribing research 1
• integrated into the ongoing research
• full transcriptions or summaries
• avoid stockpiling
• costs and benefits– self transcription– internal team transcription– external transcription
Transcribing research 2
• budget
– estimated number of interviews x 4 hours x 60 minute tape x hourly salary
• examples of good and bad
• full transcriptions– consistent layout– speaker tags– line breaks– header with identifier other details – checked for errors
Identifiers removed
• confidentiality respected
• anonymisation?
• problems of anonymisation– applied too weakly– applied to strongly– timing – potential for distortion– examples
• user undertakings
• appropriate and sympathetic
Listing research
• contents
• key elements– general– specific to project
• template approach
• point of entry
Conclusion: Re-usable research
• widely disseminated and accessible
• suitable formats for use and preservation
• coherent data and methodology
• appropriate for CAQDAS packages