Considering Abductive Thematic Network Analysis with ATLAS-ti 6.2

Abstract

Social research carried out through the use of new media technologies can generate large volumes of qualitative data. A systematic and rigorous approach is therefore important in analysing large volumes of qualitative data. Computer-aided qualitative data analysis programmes—such as Atlas-ti 6.2—have managed to facilitate the process of data analysis, to some extent. However, researchers remain central in designing and deciding how the qualitative data gathered as evidence from the field are to be analysed, interpreted, and presented. Within this context, this chapter aims to consider Abductive Thematic Network Analysis (ATNA) with Atlas-ti 6.2 as a systematic way of carrying out qualitative data analysis. A data set from a study on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health is used as an example for facilitating the explanation on the steps in carrying out, and for providing an illustration of the outcome of, ATNA. The objectives of this chapter are to make a brief presentation of abductive approach to social research, describe ATNA, and demonstrate the techniques for such an analysis using Atlas-ti 6.2. The chapter concludes that ATNA can be a useful systematic way to proceed with qualitative data analysis that can be facilitated by the use of Atlas-ti 6.2.

Door openers? Public officials as supportive actors in the labour market participation of descendants of immigrants in Sweden

“…Rich, qualitative data can say something important about processes involved in social relations and how they can be adapted to the lived realities of descendants of immigrants. The present study has employed an abductive thematic approach, meaning that the results have generated from an on-going interaction between a pre-understanding of the research problem and empirical findings (Alvesson and Sköldberg 2010;Feilzer 2010;Rambaree and Faxelid 2013). An abductive strategy signifies an alternation between theory and data, and of letting the research focus and analytical tools be formed by how they are '[.…”

“…The analysis took an abductive thematic approach, moving back and forth between theory and empirics (cf. Rambaree and Faxelid 2013;Dubois and Gadde 2002). Themes in the interview guide emanated from earlier research and the theoretical framework and were used to focus the interviews on topics relevant to labour market participation.…”

Companion Animals in Health-Promoting Work-Life

“…This article is based on an abductive thematic network analysis (Rambaree & Faxelid, 2013) of the gathered data. The abductive approach is a pragmatic way of undertaking social investigation through the use of abductive reasoning for making exploratory inferences from new empirical findings (Haig, 2008;Rambaree & Faxelid, 2013). According to Haig (2005), an abductive approach permits researchers to go further than just making/testing theory through hypotheses/research questions.…”

What Works? Family Influences on Occupational Aspirations among Descendants of Middle Eastern Immigrants on the Swedish Labour Market

“…Coding was performed with version 7.5.4 of the ATLAS.ti computer software for qualitative data (Rambaree & Faxelid, 2013). We reread the transcripts with the meaning units in mind and kept a codebook including the frequencies and meanings of as well as links between codes (Silverman, 2015).…”