Qualitative_data_analysis

Table 13.1 Comparing information across cases
Table 13.2 Matrix with non-exclusive values
OF MAPS AND MATRICES 203
Theo. For the sake of simplicity I have confined the table to only two of the ten
letters. We can see at a glance that there is no variation in the data. From a
statistical standpoint, this absence of variation would be depressing. But from a
qualitative perspective, sometimes ‘no news is good news’. We may be as interested
in identifying regularities, or singularities, as in patterns of variation in the data.
In this instance our matrix is a testament to the futility of presenting meaningless
information in a pretty way. But we can include within our matrix any background
information which may seem relevant to the analysis. For example, we may want to
include information about where and how we obtained the data about each case.
We may want to include some of the main characteristics of each case, such as the
age and gender of respondents, or the location and type of sites we have researched.
By bringing together information of this kind in a matrix, we can gain a better
overall grasp of the quality of our data, make a more comprehensive assessment of
our sources, become more sensitive to possible strengths and weaknesses of the data,
and identify any glaring gaps or inconsistencies in our data collection.
We can use a matrix to display potentially interesting information about the
content of the data (Table 13.2). Some of this material may be noted in our
summaries of each case. Note that we needn’t assume that our ‘variables’ have
unique or exclusive values. We can list in each cell a number of values for the
variable in question. Thus we can include all relevant information about each case in
the appropriate cell. In the second letter, for example, the letter refers to two male
dentists (Vincent and Degas) and two female patients (Mrs Slotkin and Mrs
Zardis).