Handling Qualitative Data
A Practical Guide
- Lyn Richards - RMIT University, Australia
Detailed sections cover: the processes of making, meeting, sorting, coding, documenting, and exploring qualitative data; how to see a study as a whole and write it, and making and justifying claims. Each chapter smoothly integrates software use with discussion of the main challenges that software users are likely to encounter. Novice researchers who use this book will be able to achieve valid and useful outcomes from qualitative analysis, and ensure they do justice to their data.
Lyn Richards has produced a very accessible guide on how to work with qualitative data in a meaningful way. This book is unique in that Richards’ correctly assumes that today’s qualitative researchers will be using technology in their analysis. She weaves this understanding into each phase of the process she describes, guiding the novice through key aspects of how to effectively handle their data.
A really useful text to help students get to grips with data analysis.
This is an excellent text, it is well structured and provides a step by step approach for students to follow when analysing their qualitative data with particular application to the use of computer software.
This book provides a useful overview of collecting and analysing qualitative data. However, given that this book has a subtitle of 'practical guide', I miss a range of examples - everything remains quite abstract. I acknowledge that there is a companion website that provides examples but for me a textbook also needs to work by itself without having to go to a website for essentials.
An excellent guide to the analysis process that encourages readers to engage deeply and over a prolonged period of time with their data - for this it. For this reason it is recommended for advanced research methods courses and dissertation courses (and PhD studies) where students are collecting and/or analysing their own data.
Any student in Hons or Masters using qualitative research would do well reading and using this invaluable resource. It is practical and does what it says on the tin. Students could do with the assistance with the often elusive qualitative data.
A concise, yet comprehensive, resource to engage with the practice of qualitative data analysis.
An accessible and useful resource
I have recommended this book as an excellent source of support when learning NVivo
Excellent text for Level 7 and 8 senior work based practitioner researchers.
