Do you mean the analysis? I used NVivo 8 to analyze the data of the ethnography.

Hi yes i mean analysis, what framework did you used and do you have any paper or book talk about how to analysis data by using Nvivo as i never used it. Many thanks 😊 

Well, yes there´s a manual I have to find it. But you can have a look at the web page and there you find all the information you need. The page is www.qsrinternational.com

Well, you can follow grounded theory approach to analyze your ethnographic data. Additionally, you can follow interpretive approach for writing the findings. Obviously, MAX-QDA could be a good software to manage your data set. 

I suggest you refer to a qualitative textbook for this. You can use thematic analysis but you need to connect this with your research questions - read some examples of data analysis where they are explicit about their framework of analysis. The journal Qualitative Social Work journal has some excellent articles that explain data analysis processes.

Each of your ethnographic notes (or interviews) is unique or idiosyncratic.  But, of course, you cannot leave it at that.  Repeated readings of your data should reveal themes and variations.  In inductive fashion, you are looking for underlying commonalities.  With descriptive analysis, these common features become concepts (either emic or etic in origin) or typologies.  These concepts or typologies become generalizations grounded in the data.  The next step up in abstraction would be theory construction.

Thanks for all of you 

A grounded theory would be one of the best possibilities for analyzing your qualitative data. However, it is important that you have followed all other research procedures of data collection and conditions (nature of research questions/how research questions were developed, how interviews were conducted, a lack of existing theory to interpret your data, etc.,) to use a grounded theory approach!

It is tricky, as there is no one way to analyse ethnographic research data. NVivo is a data management tool but does not provide an analytic framework as such. Like others I would go to a good qualitative research handbook like the Sage Handbook for qualitative research and see what fits with your question and theoretical framework. You can use your underpinning theory to analyse the data, or, as others have suggested, use a grounded theory approach. I have written a paper on how I developed an analytic framework for my ethnographic doctoral research in midwifery which might be helpful (attached).

Good luck with it!

Article Critical Medical Anthropology in Midwifery Research: A Frame...

Thematic Analysis has been my choice lately. There is a theory driven thematic analysis and of course there is the data driven one. Braun and Clarke (2006) is very helpful

Yes great advice and as mentioned in a previous post the journal: Qualitative Social Work has excellent critical reflection on the use of thematic analysis in a variety of research settings and questions.

Thanks for all of you 

Our pleasure.

Dear Mr. Salim,

I do not think one can give any straight answer to the question  that you asked. I would add that framework for analysis of ethnographic data depends on several factors which are as follows:

1. What are the objectives as well as the topic of your research?

2. How have you collected the ethnographic data? Have you written this in narrative form or the way ethnographers write their field notes?

3. Classification of ethnographic data is possible so that these can be linked with the objectives? and,

4. What purpose your research is going to serve? Is this an academic or applied research.

Finally,  Are you an anthropologist? This is because collection of ethnographic data requires good deal of understanding of methods of collection of ethnographic data as well engagement in the field and the respondents.

I am sorry if i have raised many questions then answering your question but I think these are some essential issues before I can answer your query.

All the best.

SM Alam

Thanks for the good feedback which is helping in my thesis writing too.