Qualitative_data_analysis

196 QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
So far we have focused on retrieving links in an open-ended way, and exploring
evidence of possible connections. By combining link and category retrievals, we can
establish connections in a more direct way. We can ask the computer to retrieve all
the data where databits assigned to category ‘temperament’ have been causally linked
to databits assigned to category ‘suffering’.
With this retrieval, we cannot compare different categories or links, but we can
list and examine all the databits which have been linked in this way. We can
examine the internal evidence of a connection between categories by considering the
links between the databits that these categories have assigned to,
Retrieve all ‘X’ with a ‘Z’ link to ‘Y’ (look at internal evidence of databits)
We can use this retrieval to evaluate whether the empirical links between the
databits assigned to these categories justify the inference of a conceptual connection
between categories X and Y. Any such inference can be empirically grounded in the
observed links between databits.
Connecting categories through linked data
• Retrieve all ‘Z’ links (look at variation in categories)
• Retrieve all ‘X’ OR ‘Y’ (look at variation in links)
• Retrieve all ‘X’ with a ‘Z’ link (look at variation in ‘Y’ categories)
• Retrieve all ‘Y’ with a ‘Z’ link (look at variation in ‘X’ categories)
• Retrieve all ‘X’ with a ‘Z’ link to ‘Y’ (look at internal evidence of
databits)