14 Simon Communities in Ireland Data Analysis Qualitative analysis of the data – comprising 60 life history interviews, three semi-structured interviews and two focus groups – was a complex, progressive and iterative process that involved a number of steps. First, the researchers familiarised themselves with the data and then devised a coding scheme within which the data could be categorised using NVivo, a qualitative data analysis (QDA) computer software package. This programme allowed the researchers to manage and classify the unstructured data effectively through the use of technology that enabled the efficient sorting of the data into relevant groups or codes. The codes were then organised into codebooks that grouped all the relevant data concerning a specific issue into one source. While these software programmes are both useful and beneficial, Babbie (2009: 51) notes that “the qualitative analyst nevertheless needs a strong reserve of insight and reflection to tease important patterns out of a body of observations”. This was achieved by identifying and analysing emergent themes while simultaneously comparing and contrasting the results with existing research.
Women, Homelessness and Service Provision
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