Elaborating on Thick Analysis: About Thoroughness and Creativity in Qualitative Analysis

Authors

  • Jeanine C. Evers Evers Research & Training

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-17.1.2369

Keywords:

qualitative analysis, QDA software, thick analysis, codes, hyperlinks, memos, nodes, triangulation

Abstract

This article elaborates on the concept of thick analysis, introduced in 2010 by EVERS and VAN STAA. The aim of thick analysis is to enhance the depth and breadth of data analysis by creatively combining several analysis methods, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis. As the use of qualitative data analysis (QDA) software is becoming more and more immersed in qualitative research practices, thick analysis is now within reach of every researcher. Therefore, a different categorization of the numerous analysis methods is introduced, each of which is given a motto designed to pinpoint its main feature. The purpose of this exercise is to seduce researchers to think beyond existing frameworks for analysis by offering an exemplary overview and listing of possible combinations of analysis methods.

URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs160163

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Author Biography

Jeanine C. Evers, Evers Research & Training

Jeanine EVERS is owner of Evers Research & training, which provides training and coaching in qualitative research methods and QDA software. Besides that, she is lecturer for qualitative research methods at the Criminology Department of the School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam. She has been teaching qualitative research methods, and QDA software at several Dutch Universities since 2001, is an active member of the Dutch qualitative research platform KWALON since 1995 and is currently a member of the Board. Her interests lie in qualitative research methods: their development and application within research projects. She wrote a book on qualitative interviewing (EVERS, 2007) and on qualitative analysis (EVERS, 2015a). Her book on qualitative interviewing was partly translated into English (EVERS, 2012), and the second edition in Dutch language has just been published (EVERS, 2015b). New technology, including QDA software is a specific point of interest and she is currently organizing an international conference: "Reflecting on the future of QDA Software. Chances and Challenges for Humanities, Social Sciences and beyond," to be held in Rotterdam, 25 and 26 of August, 2016. In FQS, she edited the January issue of 2011 together with Christina SILVER, Katja MRUCK and Bart PEETERS on The KWALON Experiment: Discussions on Qualitative Data Analysis Software by both Developers and Users and wrote the entry From the Past into the Future. How Technological Developments Change Our Ways of Data Collection, Transcription and Analysis. Together with Christina SILVER she wrote a Conference report about the First ATLAS.ti User Conference in the January issue of 2014.

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Published

2015-11-29

How to Cite

Evers, J. C. (2015). Elaborating on Thick Analysis: About Thoroughness and Creativity in Qualitative Analysis. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-17.1.2369

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2016)

Section

Single Contributions

License

Copyright (c) 2015 Jeanine Evers

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.