Qualitative Data Analysis with SAM: Interviews, Coding and Interpretation (bookings closed)
Date:
17/11/2026
Organised by:
BigQualDataLabs Ltd
Presenter(s):
Dr Sam Martin
Level:
Entry (no or almost no prior knowledge)
Contact:
Dr Sam Martin
Email: drsam@bigqualdatalabs.com
Please contact us by email for course enquiries.
Venue: Online
Tuesday 17 November 2026, 10:30–12:00 GMT (UK time, Europe/London). Live online via Zoom with automatic English captions.
Registration will open soon. Please visit the course website for booking updates and enquiries.
Interviews and open-text responses contain differing experiences, overlapping concerns and passages that resist a neat label. This introductory session follows the decisions involved in organising qualitative material, developing codes and building an interpretation supported by source evidence.
A tutor-led worked example uses prepared interview excerpts about experiences of accessing services. Participants will examine the context needed to interpret an excerpt, consider how topic summaries can guide further reading, and review a small coding scheme. Discussion will explore alternative readings and the relationship between a suggested label, its definition and the underlying passage.
A short open-text survey example illustrates how available context changes across data types. Selected narrative and text-network views show how an analytical observation can lead back to source material. Researchers define the case, choose the approach and explain their interpretive decisions. The suitability of AI assistance is considered in relation to the particular task. The session concentrates on a bounded example that participants can use when planning their own analysis.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
1. Identify the source, case and speaker information needed to preserve context.
2. Explain and refine a coding decision using a small working scheme.
3. Assess an automated suggestion through close reading and alternative interpretations.
4. Connect codes and source excerpts in a short analytical account.
Audience and prerequisites
For researchers, doctoral students and practitioners with some qualitative research familiarity. No previous SAM experience is required.
Practical output
A worked coding example, an evidence-linked interpretation and questions for reviewing analytical decisions.
Duration
90 minutes, including a five-minute screen break.
Trainer: Dr Sam Martin, digital sociologist and developer of Social Analysis of Meaning (SAM).
Course enquiries and accessibility requests: drsam@bigqualdatalabs.com.
Cost:
£60 standard / £40 student-access. Booking fees are included. No VAT is charged because BigQualDataLabs Ltd is not VAT registered.
Region:
Greater London
Keywords:
Qualitative Data Handling and Data Analysis, ICT and Software, Qualitative data analysis, interview analysis, coding, computer-assisted qualitative analysis
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