STATISTICAL METHODS
Qualitative & Mixed Methods
Consulting for Qualitative Research Data
Our qualitative research methods consulting starts from the question and its analytic aim, whether patterns of meaning, a coding frame, a case matrix, a theory or an integrated design, and applies the approach that fits, from thematic analysis to mixed methods research.
Qualitative & Mixed Methods is the family of methods for analyzing interviews, open-ended responses, documents and other non-numerical data, and for integrating them with quantitative findings. Within Statistical Methods, these methods are separated by their analytic aim, from patterns of shared meaning and category systems to theory, lived experience, narrative and language. Rigor rests on credibility, a visible audit trail and reflexivity, not on test statistics. OnlineSPSS is a specialist statistical consultancy for academic, clinical and professional research, and the analysis is carried out in-house by PhD-level statisticians.
METHODS IN THIS CATEGORY
Qualitative & Mixed Methods We Apply
Eight qualitative analysis methods: thematic, content and framework analysis for patterns and categories, grounded theory for theory building, interpretive qualitative methods for experience, story and language, and mixed methods.
01
Thematic Analysis
Develops patterns of shared meaning across a dataset, in a reflexive or codebook form, with an auditable path from codes to themes.
Shared meaning
Themes
02
Content Analysis
Classifies text into defined, mutually exclusive categories, with a codebook, a pilot and intercoder agreement where the design uses it.
Categories
Coding frame
03
Framework Analysis
Charts coded data into a case by theme matrix, with each summary traceable to its source, for applied and team-based studies.
Case matrix
Cross-case
04
Grounded Theory
Builds an explanatory theory of a process through constant comparison, theoretical sampling and memos, in the variant your study adopts.
Theory
Constant comparison
05
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
Examines how a small, similar group of participants makes sense of a lived experience, analyzing each case before any cross-case themes.
Lived experience
Idiographic
06
Narrative Analysis
Analyzes stories as wholes, keeping sequence, plot and identity work, and separating what happened from how it is told.
Stories
Sequence and plot
07
Discourse Analysis
Examines how language constructs meaning and social action, keeping extracts in enough context to support the interpretation.
Language
Social action
08
Mixed Methods Research
Plans and integrates qualitative and quantitative strands, using joint displays to show where findings converge, diverge or leave gaps.
Integration
Joint displays
METHOD COMPARISON
Choosing Between Methods in This Family
Match the analytic aim first and the data second; when the question is a count, a group comparison or a measured relationship, a quantitative method from another family usually fits better.
| Research situation | Typical method |
|---|---|
| Patterns of shared meaning across a dataset | Thematic Analysis |
| Text sorted into defined categories, with counts and coder agreement | Content Analysis |
| Cases compared across themes in a matrix, often by a team | Framework Analysis |
| An explanatory theory of a social process | Grounded Theory |
| Lived experience of a few similar participants, in depth | Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) |
| Stories analyzed with sequence and plot kept intact | Narrative Analysis |
| How language constructs meaning and social action | Discourse Analysis |
| Qualitative and quantitative strands answering one question | Mixed Methods Research |
COMMON ANALYTICAL ISSUES
Common Issues We See in Qualitative & Mixed Methods
Most problems in qualitative research methodology arise before the coding, in how the method was matched to the aim and how the path from data to findings was recorded.
Methods Treated as Interchangeable Coding Thematic, grounded theory, IPA, discourse and framework analysis answer different questions from different positions. Giving generic coding one of these labels misstates what the study can legitimately claim.
No Trail From Data to Findings Reviewers look for a visible link from extracts to codes, categories and themes, not for a large number of codes. Without an audit trail, a study's credibility rests on assertion instead of evidence.
Rigor Borrowed From Another Method Saturation, coder agreement and member checking suit some approaches and not others, and none of them is a universal test. Quality criteria should follow the chosen approach and be argued, not ticked.
Strands Reported Side by Side Collecting qualitative and quantitative data is not integration. Parallel results sections leave the link implicit, while planned integration, such as a joint display, shows where findings converge or diverge.
Unsure which qualitative approach fits your question, or how your two strands should connect? We can review the aim, data and design and confirm an approach.
ANALYTICAL SUPPORT
From Method Selection to Reportable Results
As part of our Qualitative & Mixed Methods Analysis service, qualitative research methods consulting takes a study from the choice of approach to findings that can be traced and defended.
Method Specification We confirm the research question, the analytic aim and the data, and document why the chosen approach fits and what it can and cannot claim.
Assumptions & Diagnostics Quality is judged through reflexivity, an audit trail, negative case analysis and checks suited to the method, not through assumption tests or a single criterion.
Effect Estimates & Uncertainty Findings rest on coded extracts and credibility checks, and counts or agreement statistics are reported with their limits only where the method uses them.
Publication-Ready Outputs Theme tables, framework matrices, joint displays and methods write-ups follow SRQR, COREQ or the journal's requirements, with coded project files provided.
SOFTWARE
Software for Qualitative and Mixed Methods
Coding is done in qualitative software and the quantitative strand in statistical tools, matched to the method and the project's reproducibility needs.
RESEARCH DISCIPLINES
Qualitative Methods Across Research Fields
Qualitative and mixed methods are used wherever people, texts and settings are studied in depth, and each field brings its own traditions, ethics and reporting conventions.
RESEARCHER VOICE
What Researchers Say
Feedback from two researchers, on making the integration of qualitative and quantitative strands explicit, and on working across statistical and qualitative packages without forcing one tool.
“We had qualitative material plus survey data, but the two parts of the project were developing separately. The team helped us tighten the coding approach and make the integration explicit, so the qualitative findings and quantitative results were answering the same research questions rather than sitting in parallel.”
“Our projects arrive in different software depending on the university, client, or research team, so being able to keep the analysis in the required platform matters. The team could work from existing files, preserve reproducibility, and move between statistical and qualitative packages without forcing everything into one tool.”
OnlineSPSS provides the agreed methodological, analytical and statistical reporting support and claims no intellectual contribution. The research question, interpretation, conclusions and authorship remain with the researcher or research team.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions About Qualitative & Mixed Methods
Short answers to what researchers ask before sharing a qualitative or mixed methods project, from choosing an approach to confidentiality and the assessment process.
Which qualitative method fits my research question?
The method follows the analytic aim, not the software. Thematic analysis develops patterns of shared meaning, content analysis applies a category system, framework analysis compares cases in a matrix, grounded theory builds a theory, and IPA, narrative and discourse analysis keep experience, story and language intact. If an analysis was already run and questioned, Independent Statistical Review reads its coding trail and reporting.
Do qualitative methods need saturation or coder agreement?
Not as a universal rule. Each criterion belongs to particular approaches and is justified within them: reflexive thematic analysis needs neither saturation nor agreement, content analysis commonly reports agreement, and grounded theory argues theoretical saturation as a judgment. Sample size is better framed as information power, and rigor as credibility, transparency and reflexivity.
How do you protect my research data and confidentiality?
Transcripts, recordings, codebooks and project files are handled confidentially, and project information is not published. An NDA is available where required and can be arranged before sensitive materials are shared. Read more about confidentiality and data security.
What happens when I request an assessment, and how long does it take?
You share your research question, design and relevant materials, and a statistically trained Research Coordinator reviews the request and responds the same day. The analysis, deliverables, timeline and one fixed project fee are then confirmed before any work begins, so the timeline follows from the agreed scope.
Still have a question? Find more answers in our full FAQ.
NEXT STEP
Need to Confirm the Right
Qualitative Approach?
Share your research question, data and study design. We review the analytic aim and confirm the appropriate approach before any work begins.
No Commitment Required
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Fixed Project Fee
In-House PhD-Level Statisticians
Same-Day Response
Serving Researchers Since 2014