Qualitative Data Analysis: How to find meaning in your texts

The seminar aims to introduce doctoral students to key elements of qualitative data analysis. On the first day, we will introduce different types of qualitative data (visual and textual material), look into meaning-making practices and the relationship between language and reality, and discuss strategies of interpretation. Focusing on textual analysis in social science, concrete steps of different types of analysis (content analysis, framing, discourse analysis) will be introduced with an eye on their implications for the research process and research design. On the second day, we will address computer assisted qualitative data analysis introducing the software ATLAS.ti so that students learn how to set up a project, how to prepare and code data. In addition, we will leave some room to discuss individual students’ projects. The seminar is aimed at students who do (or consider doing) qualitative data analysis to get an idea of how to actually analyze meaning in texts and what key difficulties they should prepare to deal with. Students who do not work with qualitative data analysis will acquire a basic understanding of processes of text analysis so as to be able to constructively think about and discuss what other researchers do. About the Lecturers Nicola Nymalm is a research fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs’ Asia and Global Politics and Security programmes. Maren Wagner is acting academic director of the GIGA Doctoral Programme.