Qualitative Data Analysis

Qualitative data can help to answer essential questions in the field of global health, and in turn can inform global health practice and policy. However, the process of turning qualitative data into insightful conclusions can sometimes feel like a mystery. The goal of this course is to unveil the mystery of qualitative analysis, by providing you with a toolset to move through data analysis. We will approach qualitative data analysis as a science, while also recognizing and appreciating the art (and heart) that goes into the analytic process.

While this course will draw from many traditions of qualitative analysis, it will have as its foundation the techniques of thematic analysis: a rapid, applied approach to qualitative data analysis that is well suited to the field of global health. In this process, you will learn a set of applied skills and tools (memo writing, coding, visualizing and matrices) that you can use to help you to identify patterns (or “themes”) in your data, and to synthesize, interpret and present your data in a systematic and rigorous process. Throughout the course, students will learn how to use data analysis software (i.e., NVivo) to assist in the analysis process.

This course is best suited for students who have a qualitative data set that they are working to analyze toward a specific output (e.g., a publication or Masters thesis). The qualitative data may have been collected through a variety of data collection methods (e.g., individual in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, or observations). For use in the course, it should be textual written format in a language that you understand. If you are entering the course without a dataset, please let me know and we can make arrangements for you to have access to a qualitative dataset.