Analysis may also continue as you write your report, or you may start to write your report as you do analysis. As you write about what you've learned, you may have different insights or rethink your earlier ideas.
In some cases, analysis of one set of data may be a step in developing tools for further data collection. For instance, Evelyn Battell and her colleagues (Battell et al., 2004) analyzed their autobiographies and constructed eight themes related to their research about effective ABE/ literacy instructors. These themes provided a framework for interviewing other practitioners.
Your specific approach to analysis will depend on your research question, the data you have and the methods you used to collect it. In some cases, you may have predetermined categories and will be able to sort the data into those categories. For instance, if you used a structured interview or a questionnaire, the questions may provide categories for collating and reporting your data.
When using less structured methods (e.g., interviews, journals), a common approach is to read through all the data, identify relevant words, phrases or larger pieces, organize these pieces into categories, and look for patterns and themes related to your research focus.
A guide to this type of analysis is included at the end of this chapter. The guide is offered as a starting point that you'll likely adapt as you work with your data. As you'll see in the following examples, there is no one, right way to do analysis. It is important, however, that you document the process you use so that others can follow it. You need to be confident that your process helps you make meaning as fully as possible.
The following describes the process I used to analyze data about sharing power with students (Norton, 2000a):
Analysis of information began almost as soon as I started to collect it. As I wrote field notes [journal], I included questions and ideas about what I was documenting. Through ongoing reading, I found a framework for understanding power. When I made time to work more intensely and intentionally on the analysis, I used this framework as a starting point.