Working with Longitudinal
Qualitative Data: Using
NVivo as an Analytic Tool
Roger J. Vallance
The University of Notre Dame Australia
Paper presented at the 6th International conference of
Qualitative Research Conference, 21-23 Sept 2005 Durham.
Longitudinal Qualitative research
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Research question
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Longitudinal qualitative research occurs
when a research question investigating a
development over time or causal
perspective is conducted in a qualitative
methodology
Research sample
Research methodology
Sampling
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Repeated cross-sectional samples
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Panel study (different styles of panels explored below)
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As above
Rotating panel
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Once a group of participants are enlisted, the group participants are re-contacted for
each iteration of the research.
Indefinite life panel with replacement
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Same individuals are interviewed repeatedly over time.
Indefinite life panel without replacement
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Same questions asked of different samples over time.
Sample strategies calls for the research to last longer than average participation.
Participants might be included for 3 or 4 iterations and then replaced according to
the same sample choices as original sample selection.
Overlapping panel
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Use of several rotating panel structures so that groups are out of phase in their
replacement cycles.
LQR methodologies
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Not restricted to specific methodologies
That said, LQR does not happen by
accident
Distinction between longitudinal and
meta-analysis
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Research question
Sample
maybe not approach to analysis and
synthesis
Organising the Data
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Attributes
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Sets
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Information that is relatively unchanging,
That might form a table of values organised in
columns for each participant (row)
Used for more ad hoc or volatile information
Overlapping data sets
Cases
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Cases nodes for testing emergent ideas
Attributes in longitudinal analysis
Sets in longitudinal analysis
Cases in longitudinal analysis
Three useful distinctions
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Theme
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Pattern
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Manifest statements of individual participants
Participant perspective
Findings of the research, possibly pro term
Researcher perspective
Topic
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Summary of contributions and discussions with
participants.
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cf Luborsky 1994 The Identification and Analysis of
Themese and Patterns, in J.F. Gubrium & A. Sankar
Qualitative Methods in Aging Research. Sage.
Longitudinal Analysis
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Ideally, unit of analysis is the individual
Analysing each wave
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Connecting between the waves
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What has changed and how have these changes
occurred
Retrospection
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At this point in time What is the qual analysis ?
How did we come to this?
Participant validation
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At end of research, chance to validate their stories
Sets scope searches
Connecting between the waves
Bringing it together
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Retrospection
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Looking back over one’s shoulder
Epiphanies
Turning points
Dead ends and discontinuities
Participant validation
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Not always possible
And what does one validate?
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Individual analysis
More global views
One view of Longitudinal
Qualitative Analysis
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What has changed?
How has it changed?
For whom has it changed?
Why has it changed?
How have they changed?
Where /who are they now?
A second view of Longitudinal
Qualitative Analysis
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What has changed for these participants?
[subQ – for this person]
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What has caused these observed
changes?
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Analyse topics and individual accounts
Analyse themes with field notes
To what extent are these changes global?
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Analyse patterns with field notes and memos
New horizons
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Qualitative data is growing in volume,
richness, number, extent to which we
can cope with large data collections
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Historical inspections of similar projects
possible
Warehousing of data may yield resource of
great value
Might interoperation of CAQDAS be
another step?