Embedded Files
From Coding to Patterns
From Coding to Patterns
Summarizing in Tables
Summarizing in Tables
Your results can be presented in a table, called a data matrix. There are lots of ways to develop a matrix. Go back to your research question to decide what is most important to show.
Matrices are
"...displays that are focused enough to permit a viewing of a full data set in the same location and are arranged systematically to answer the research questions at hand.. [...] [T]he condensed, distilled data presented are drawn from the full range of persons, events, and processes under study." (Miles, Huberman, & Saldana, 1994)
Read:
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & J. Saldana (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. 3nd Ed. Sage. Chapter 5 - Designing Matrix and Network Displays, p 107-119
Gale, N. K., Heath, G., Cameron, E., Rashid, S., & Redwood, S. (2013). Using the framework method for the analysis of qualitative data in multi-disciplinary health research. BMC medical research methodology, 13(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-13-117
Matrices help present your data in meaningful ways. They link your coded data with downstream visualization
Matrices help present your data in meaningful ways. They link your coded data with downstream visualization
Can use for both process and product, meaning...
Process: You can use matrices to help you organize your analysis and tell a story – whether or not the matrix or matrices are included in your final report or paper.
Product: You can use a matrix as a way to illustrate the results of a key theme or set of themes. This view works well for a variety of stakeholders and for slides, reports, manuscripts.
Organize your results for analysis
Organize your results for analysis
Data reduction
Make comparisons/show contrasting information
Look for patterns, explanations, predictors
See what is missing
Summarize results on one page
Summarize different levels of information
Visualization (including ratings, counts, etc.)
Display both quantitative and qualitative data
Decide how you want to tell the story
Decide how you want to tell the story
Narrative
Narrative
Weave your codes into a “plot” and support it with data from your “characters”.
Useful for all types of research questions, particularly for grounded theory approaches and case studies. Can be used in combination with other approaches
Framework or Matrices
Framework or Matrices
Display your data in a chart or table for an “at a glance” overview of your results.
Useful for policy and practice-oriented findings. Also can be used in combination with narrative.
Although appropriate for most qualitative methods, matrices are most closely associated with the framework method of analysis.
Networks, Causal Diagrams, Process Maps
Networks, Causal Diagrams, Process Maps
Create a display of how things act or transform.
Useful for modeling processes, timelines, relationships. Roots in systems science. Also can be used in combination with other approaches.
What can you put in the rows and columns?
What can you put in the rows and columns?
Individuals (cases)
Roles
Relationships and groups
Settings within sites
Sites
Actions
Events
Activities
Strategies
Meanings and perspectives
Attitudes, values, and beliefs
Emotions and states
Processes (stages, cycles)
Quotes
Summaries
Research explanations
Ratings or summarized judgements
Demographic data
Other quantitative data
Contrasting/negative examples
Researcher comments
Common terms/phrases
Examples
What matrices look like in practice
What matrices look like in practice
Case-level displays
Case-level displays
A case is typically a person, but it can be a setting/site, a time period, or another unit of analysis
Can be two-dimensional (one matrix for all cases)
Or, three-dimensional (one matrix for all cases, sub-divided by another grouping variable such as site)
Or, can have separate matrices for each grouping variable
Can be row-ordered by another variable, such as a rating (high, medium, low), a theme, etc. Can start out without a specific order, then order through various sorts (helpful to use Excel at first)
Cross-case displays
Cross-case displays
Cross-cases are across different examples or people. There are many ways and examples to present cross-case displays.
Code frequency matrix
Checklist matrix (presence, absence, rating)
Time-ordered or sequential matrix
Content analytic (organized by theme)
Summary table
Combines elements of the above
Applied Examples of Data Matrices from Oregon
Applied Examples of Data Matrices from Oregon
Newgard, C.D., Morris, C.D., Smith, L., et al., The first National Institutes of Health institutional training program in emergency care research: Productivity and outcomes. Annals of Emergency Medicine, epub, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.06.018
Gowen, L.K. and N. Winges-Yanez (2013). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Youths' Perspectives of Inclusive School-Based Sexuality Education. Journal of Sex Research, 0(0), 1-13. DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2013.806648
Putting it all together
Putting it all together
Core Practices
Share your preliminary results with a content expert or a community member to check for face validity.
Documentation is key. Make sure to document all of your methods as you progress through analysis. Make use of what you know about rigor and reproducibility.
Key Takeaways
Qualitative data analysis is an iterative process – it takes time.
You will leave some data and ideas “on the cutting room floor” – more is not always better.
It takes practice! Read through qualitative work in your field of interest to see as many examples as possible.
Don’t forget to keep asking, “does this make sense”? Keep coming back to your research question.
It might seem like all these steps happen in a “black box”, but with practice you will learn to trust the process and the results.
You did it!
You did it!
Next up: Visualization
Next up: Visualization
These amazing resources and tips were prepared by Dr. Adrienne Zell.
Zell, A. (2020). Matrices [course material]. Qualitative Methods for Health Professionals, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.Page updated
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