A new series of free videos explores various approaches to big qualitative data analysis.
The series offers vital methodological guidance through four distinct sessions: Big Qualitative Diary data, Mass Observation Archive, Corpus Linguistics Approaches to Big Qual Data Analysis, and The Breadth-and-Depth Approach to Big Qual Data Analysis.
By featuring experts discussing their approaches, the series aims to advance the capacities of researchers and trainers working with these challenging data sets.
The videos were produced as part of a project funded by NCRM’s Innovation Fora scheme, which explored methods for dealing with the vast, textured and multi-modal data generated by creative methods like diary-based approaches and object-based interviews.
Creative methods – such as those using diaries, poetry or object-based interviews – can generate a vast mass of multi-modal, textured big qual data, from which researchers can gain deep and rich insights.
For researchers, the challenge is that analytical practices for such complex data vary, and developing appropriate skills and techniques is often lacking.
The videos provide crucial support to the research community in an area of increasing methodological need.
The Innovation Fora project was co-organised by Sophie Woodward of The University of Manchester, Dr Laura Radcliffe of the University of Liverpool and Kirsty Pattrick of the Mass Observation Archive.
Its central component was a forum that took place at the Mass Observation Archive and brought together leading qualitative researchers to explore key analytical questions and engage in hands-on data analysis practices.