From Conclusions to Community ImpactQUALITATIVE METHODS IN THE LIBRARY, PART 4JANUARY 2017

CELIA EMMELHAINZ – ANTHROPOLOGY LIBRARIAN – UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY

Stages of qualitative research:

Develop an anthropological questionLit review and conversations for focusChoose a methodChoose a sampling strategyCollect data ethicallyAnalyze data by coding for themesDevelop and share results in your communities

Isaacs (2014) “An Overview of Qualitative Research Methodology for Public Health Researchers,” p. 318-21

Steps in analysisa. Memos: Start with a close reading and note interesting

points or starter ideas. b. Coding: Mark texts systemically with the topics you

observe, moving into specific concepts.c. Explore: read back over keky texts; explore codes in

relation to each other or to respondent demographics.d. Share: Use evocative quotations to illustrate your

findingsKuckartz and McWhertor (2014) Qualitative Text Analysis, p.5, 9

Exploring relationships with queries Look at quotations in relation to multiple codes

◦ job market OR relocation (broadens)◦ job market AND relocation (narrows)◦ job market NOT relocation◦ student debt WITHIN cost of MLS◦ successful hire FOLLOWS experience (within a paragraph)

Use Scope to search only some documents Save resulting quotations under a new Super Code

AND / OR / ONE OF (not both) / NOT

Check out: co-occurring codes

Compare texts by theme

Exercise: Compare texts by theme

Look at the handout of Skills-People coded quotations and write notes on

what you see

(five minutes)

Check out: codes by document

Check out: codes by document Left: times coded “harm” Below: words coded “harm”

Exercise: Review coded

Take a look over the missionary interview and jot down additional

questions you might ask.

(five minutes)

From Coding to Conclusionsa. Once you’ve coded, think of sub-questions you can

further code (or collect additional focused data).b. List comparison groups that may be useful to explore.c. Draw connections / maps / visualizations of links.d. Go back to your data and create vivid narratives or case

stories of why the differences matter.e. Relate your resulting stories and mapped concepts back

to conversations in your field. Adapted from Shelly Steward, Changing Gears: From Coding to Conclusions, presentation in the UCB D-Lab, October 28, 2016

Building Networks

Emmelhainz: project on missionary ethics when government restricts access to a country

Building Networks

Emmelhainz: project on study abroad students’ experiences with research and library use, Colby College

Exercise: Develop categories or a network

Look at the list of MLS grad codes and group in categories or a visual

network

(five minutes)

Rigor: how do you know it’s any good?

1. You’re engaged over many visits or interviews2. Your methods are well-grounded in your question and available theory3. You’ve worked with an extensive or well-focused sample of people4. Triangulation with complimentary methods (interviews + observation)5. You’ve gathered a range of perspectives from different sources or sites6. You’ve highlighted what doesn’t fit your theory7. You’ve collaborated or sought input on design, coding, and analysis8. Your participants can see why you got the results you got9. You’ve documented your process, analysis, and results

Gilson 2011, adapted in Stoto ea 2012 … Using Qualitative Methods in Public Health Systems Research

Results: Infographics

Emmelhainz 2015, survey of MLS grads at https://infogr.am/library_grads_by_the_numbers

Results: Articles

Emmelhainz & Bukhtoyarova 2016 “I Fell Into Librarianship…”

Results: MarketingCampaigns

http://transforminglifeafter50.org/files/community_survey_summary.pdf

Exercise: Outreaching back to user communities

Who are you studying? What are you changing? How could you highlighted

key changes you’re making as a result?

(five minutes)

Questions & Feedback