For our in-class workshop on qualitative data analysis, you will need some data to work with. Luckily, you already have text and images from the public transportation observation and interview assignments. For the workshop, you will translate your raw data from the observation and interviews into a format that you can more easily analyze. The following instructions roughly summarize those in the textbook; if you have questions refer to the textbook. This exercise should not take you very long.

If you did not do either your observation or assignment on the subject of Bay Area public transportation, then don’t do this assignment. We will be working in small groups and combining data, so everyone’s contributions need to be on the same general topic. If you have no data to contribute and are feeling generous, offer to help people in your final project group format their data.

To do

(1) Get some Post-its. I suspect you probably have some already for other projects. I will have some in class on Tuesday; if you want to get started early or I run out, they are available at any drugstore or stationery store around campus. They can be whatever color you want. I suggest using blue for raw data, pink for observation raw data, and green for interpretations of both. That way everyone’s Post-its will match. But it’s your choice. Don’t run around trying to find Post-its of the right color if what you have on-hand is orange and fuschia.

(2) Re-read your interview and observation assignments.

(3) Legibly copy interesting quotations, telling observations, or key insights onto Post-its. You can either handwrite or paste cut-down printouts onto the Post-its. If you are not using different colors, make sure you visibly differentiate between direct quotations, observed data, and your own interpretations!

(4) Label each Post-it with the mode of public transportation it describes.

(5) Print out any photos or sketches from observations.

If you have any favorite tools for qualitative data analysis, feel free to bring them to class and use them as well.