Organizing “Mountains of Words” for Data Analysis, both Qualitative and Quantitative

Abstract

Qualitative research creates mountains of words. U.S. federal funding supports mostly structured qualitative research, which is designed to test hypotheses using semiquantitative coding and analysis. This article reports on strategies for planning, organizing, collecting, managing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and writing about qualitative data so as to most efficiently manage the mountains of words collected in large-scale ethnographic projects. Multiple benefits accrue from this approach. Field expenditures are linked to units of work so productivity is measured, many staff in various locations have access to use and analyze the data, quantitative data can be derived from data that is primarily qualitative, and improved efficiencies of resources are developed.

RÉSUMÉ

La recherche qualitative crée des montagnes de mots. Le financement fédéral des Etats-Unis appuie principalement la recherche qualitative structurée, ce qui est conçu pour tester des hypothèses en utilisant le codage et l’analyse semi-quantitative. Cet article rend compte des stratégies pour planifier, organiser, collecter, gérer, stocker, récupérer, analyser, et écrire sur les données qualitatives de façon à gérer plus efficacement les montagnes de mots recueillis dans des grands projets ethnographiques. Plusiers avantages résultent de cette approche. Les dépenses dans le terrain sont liées aux unités de travail pour mesurer la productivité, plusiers personnel dans différents endroits ont accès à utiliser et analyser les données, les donées quantitatives peuvent être dérivées des données qui sont principalement qualitatives, et une meilleure efficacité des ressources est développé.

RESUMEN

La investigación cualitativa crea montañas de palabras. La financiación federal de los Estados Unidos apoya principalmente la investigación cualitativa estructurada, lo cual está diseñada para poner a prueba hipótesis mediante la codificación y el análisis semicuantitativo. Este artículo informa sobre las estrategias para planificar, organizar, recoger, gestionar, almacenar, recuperar, analizar y escribir sobre los datos cualitativos a fin de gestionar más eficientemente las montañas de palabras recogidas en grandes proyectos etnográficos. Múltiples beneficios se derivan de este enfoque. Gastos de campo están vinculados a las unidades de trabajo para que la productividad se mide, muchos miembros del personal en diversos lugares tienen acceso al uso y análisis de los datos, los datos cuantitativos se pueden derivar de los datos principalmente cualitativos, y mejorada eficiencia de los recursos se desarrolla.

Keywords :

• qualitative research
• organizing project
• field expenses
• database management
• semiquantitative coding

THE AUTHORS

Bruce D. Johnson (Ph.D., 1971, Columbia University) is one of the nation's authorities on the criminality and illicit sales of drugs in the street economy and among arrestees and minority populations. He directs the Institute for Special Populations Research at the National Development and Research Institutes. He is a professional researcher with five books and over 130 articles based upon findings emerging from over 30 different research and prevention projects funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institutes of Justice. He also directs the largest pre- and postdoctoral training program in the United States.

Eloise Dunlap (Ph.D., 1988, Berkeley) has extensive qualitative experience in research and publications that address the role of crack and marijuana users, especially among drug-abusing African American families and their households. She is and has been Principal Investigator of six NIDA-funded projects, including the project of which this article is derived.

Ellen Benoit (Ph.D., 2000, New York University) has been involved in project management at NDRI, supervising data collection and management, and working closely with ethnographic field staff and data management. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals on poverty and the illegal drug trade, the social context of drug dependence and how low-income drug users are affected by changes in social policies related to income, security, and disability.

Notes

1 The specific projects reported here, and all prior research, have been carefully reviewed by the institutional review board; further all persons participating as research subjects have given their informed consent prior to interview and are compensated for their information and time.

2 Active drug users and/or persons in recovery often lack many essential skills, have difficulty mastering the skill of writing rich field notes, and often leave before the project ends.

3 This paper receipt worked in all prior projects conducted in NYC. But paper receipts for field expenses are now giving way to similar electronic filing and documentation.