Learning Objectives

  • Explain the meaning of an emic focus and of an etic focus in research and their relevance in qualitative data analysis.
  • Compare and contrast the use of narrative analysis and conversation analysis.
  • Identify a research question that would be for an analysis using ethnomethodology.
  • Describe the grounded theory approach and contrast it to the role of theory in deductive research.
  • List the major steps in qualitative comparative analysis.
  • Explain the logic of a case-oriented understanding approach in analyzing qualitative data.
  • Give an example of the value of using more than one method of analyzing qualitative data in a project.
  • Identify changes in the social world that have led to the growth of visual sociology.
  • Explain how systematic observation techniques differ from participant observation strategies.
  • Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of participatory action research.
  • Discuss the ways in which computer-aided qualitative data analysis can facilitate research.
  • List at least four ethical issues that should be given special attention in qualitative data analysis.