A History of Qualitative Data Analysis Approaches

• In Event: Teaching and Conducting Educational Research

Abstract

The analysis of data represents the most important and difficult step in the qualitative research process. The purpose of this paper is to document the history, philosophy, and development of qualitative analytical approaches. In particular, we describe 34 qualitative data analysis approaches that were identified from an exhaustive search of the literature. For each qualitative data analysis approach, an example of its use is provided from the extant literature. In addition, each of these approaches is situated in terms of the origin of each qualitative data analysis approach, the overall development of qualitative research, the discipline/field from which it stemmed, the original and/or most compatible research design(s), and the sources of qualitative data that it can analyze.

Authors

• Magdalena Anna Denham, Sam Houston State University

• Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie, Sam Houston State University