16 - Comparing Groups

Transcription

1 16 - Comparing Groups

2 Contents 16 - COMPARING GROUPS... 1 QUALITATIVE DATA: CONTENT OF CODED SEGMENTS... 1 QUANTITATIVE DATA: CODE FREQUENCIES... 3

3 16 - Comparing Groups MAXQDA allows you to compare different groups on a qualitative and quantitative basis. In the case of qualitative analysis, coded contents and, where appropriate, supplementary comments are compared. In the case of quantitative analysis, variant code frequencies are compared. The groups are formed by document groups, document sets or individual documents. You can use this feature for many forms of comparison, because the functionality is so flexible that it allows for not only group comparisons, but also comparisons of individual cases, and combined comparisons of groups with individual cases. Qualitative Data: Content of Coded Segments A prerequisite for performing a group comparison is that groups are available as a document group, document set or as individual documents in the "Document System". To combine documents with certain variable properties in a document set, you can use the Activate by Document Variables function. A group comparison for coded segments can be performed as follows: 1. Select the function Analysis > Compare groups > Qualitative. An options dialog window will appear with three sections: 1

4 Options dialog window for comparing coded contents 2. Click and drag in at least two document groups, document sets or individual documents from the "Document System" to the top area, "Groups". You can also combine document groups, document sets, and documents. Entries can be deleted at any time by clicking on the X at the end of a row. 3. Click and drag several codes from the "Code System" to the middle area, "Codes". By clicking on the button Add activated codes, all activated and not yet selected codes are added below. You can adjust the sequence of the codes by holding down the mouse key. 4. In the "Compare" section, select which data you want to compare: the coded segments of the selected codes, or the coded segments along with the comments. 5. Click on OK and enter a file name and location for your results table to be saved 2

5 under. You can choose between saving as an Excel spreadsheet in XLS/X format, a webpage in HTML format or a table in a text document in RTF format. MAXQDA then creates an Interactive Quote Matrix and opens it immediately. The selected groups form the columns and the selected codes from the rows in the matrix. The cells contain the coded segments, such that their coded contents of the selected groups can be compared. Results table for the comparison of coded contents: Interactive Quote Matrix The functionality of the Interactive Quote Matrix is described in detail here. Quantitative Data: Code Frequencies A prerequisite for performing a group comparison is that groups are available as a document group, document set or as individual documents in the "Document System". To combine documents with certain variable properties in a document set, you can use the Activate by Document Variables function. A group comparison for code frequencies is performed as follows: 1. Open the function Analysis > Compare groups > Quantitative. An options dialog window will appear with three sections: 3

6 2. Click and drag in at least two document groups, document sets or individual documents from the "Document System" to the top area, "Groups". You can also combine document groups, document sets, and documents. Entries can be deleted at any time by clicking on the X at the end of a row. 3. Click and drag several codes from the "Code System" to the middle area, "Codes". By clicking on the button Add activated codes, all activated and not yet selected codes are added below. You can adjust the sequence of the codes by holding down the mouse key. 4. Select the option Without code hierarchy, if all selected codes should be displayed in the top level of the results table. If the option is not activated, MAXQDA automatically adds the parent codes of the selected codes to retain the hierarchical tree structure of the code system. Click on OK and MAXQDA creates a crosstab. The selected groups form the columns and the selected codes form the rows of the matrix: 4

7 Results table for comparing code frequencies: the Crosstab The functionality of the crosstab is described in detail here. 5