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Keyton: Communication Research, 5e IM-1
Chapter 17
Analyzing Qualitative Data
Activity: Developing Drafts of the Written Quantitative Report
Use one of the data collection activities identified in assignments described for Chapters 16. Students
need data from at least one set of data. Using these data, assign students the task of writing an analytical
memo. If many students participated in the same data collection activity, ask students to exchange and
critique analytical memos. To help students critique others’ analytical memos, use the following
questions:
1. Did the author of the memo include enough detail so the reader could get the sense of being in the
interaction setting?
Activity: Analyzing Narratives
To help students understand the analytic process for examining narratives, pick a few stories from NPR’s
StoryCorps. Individually or as a class, students can listen to identify narrative themes and threads.
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510200/storycorps
Activity: Analyzing Qualitative Data Sets
Use qualitative data that you or another researcher has collected. Make these data available to your
students working in pairs. Assign students the task of coding and categorizing the data to find and
establish emergent themes. Suggest students take the following steps:
1. Read all of the data in its entirety.
2. In the second pass through the data, identify the type of interaction that is occurring.
a. How often does it occur?
3. As categories emerge, students should provide a tentative label for category they believe emerges
from the data.
4. Now working with partners, students should compare their categories and labels. How are the
two sets of categories and labels similar? Different?
5. Ask the pair of students to integrate the two sets of categories and labels into one set of emergent
themes.
Activity: Analyzing Qualitative Data Sets #2
Using the same data as described above, put students in pairs and assign them the task of using Owen’s
thematic analysis technique to analyze the data. Suggest students take the following steps:
1. Use salient meaning to identify recurring themes (different wording, same meaning)
3. Identify ways in which forcefulness exists in the data (vocal or textual markers to indicate
salience).
4. Which themes are marked by recurrence, repetition, and forcefulness?
6. Now working with partners, students should compare their themes and labels. How are the two
sets of themes and labels similar? Different?
7. Ask the pair of students to integrate the two sets of themes and labels into one set of emergent
themes.
Additional Resources
Docan-Morgan, T. (2010). ‘‘You’re a grounded theorist for the day’’: Teaching students the grounded
theory approach. Communication Teacher, 24, 203-207. doi:10.1080/17404622.2010.514276
Keyton: Communication Research, 5e IM-3
Worksheet—Using Qualitative Methods
You have three articles using the same qualitative analytical technique (i.e., analytical memos, coding and
categorizing data, grounded theory, thematic analysis). After reading the articles, answer the following
questions:
1. In what ways did the authors use the analytical technique in the same ways? Different ways?
2. In what ways did the authors account for the credibility of their interpretations?
3. In what ways did the authors rely on triangulation to increase the credibility of their
Web Resources
For a list of Internet resources, visit https://www.joannkeyton.com/research-methods
