This one-day workshop will lay out the different logics of analysis (explanation, interpretation, explication and evaluation); give examples on how to perform such analysis; and how to appreciate their respective worth. We will also cover guiding sensibilities on how to engage in ‘grounded theorizing’ and how conceptual coding of data can complement the more pedantic line-by-line approach favoured by many grounded theory researchers. Finally, we will articulate what counts as meaningful ‘insights’ and give concrete examples of how to get from data to insight statements to a coherent overarching narrative using case studies of research done in partnership with local social service agencies.
This course is designed for practitioners who already have basic background and experience conducting qualitative research. It is suitable as an immersion course for quantitative researchers who want to understand qualitative research better, and also those who are doing applied or policy research in social service agencies, research centres or government agencies.
Participants can choose to prepare a case study of a qualitative research project they are working on or have previously worked on. This means bringing along a summary write-up of your research question, methodology and findings to be used for collective discussion. If you plan to share raw data or direct quotes, please anonymise them to protect the identity of your respondents. At the workshop, there will be an opportunity to try and see if we can achieve deeper insight from the existing findings.