Folioanalysis

Although an in-depth interview or group discussion is always an open and largely unstructured conversation, the moderator has some guidance in the form of a discussion guide that is determined in advance in consultation with you. This allows room for spontaneous and individual contributions to the conversation, but quality is guaranteed by the checklist of key themes. Qualitative research is not only about the answers given by the respondent, but also about the feelings and behavior of the group or respondent. How do people feel about certain topics and why do they act in a certain way?

Quantitative research revolves around numerical language and the counting of large amounts of data. In qualitative research, on the other hand, information gathering is more flexible and open in nature, and everyday language is used in the analysis. Before starting the analysis, the interrelationships between the collected data are examined. What connections do we see, and are there certain themes that can be quantified? We translate the search for certain themes and other patterns into a folio analysis.

What is a folio analysis?

Schematically, this means that the collected data is searched for codes and concepts in order to group them, after which they are interpreted and, where possible, combined to arrive at a conclusive theory and answer the research question.

Other analysis techniques

Another method used in analyzing qualitative data is the debriefing of the discussion leader, also known as the moderator. Immediately after the in-depth interview or group discussion, the moderator presents his findings. He pays attention to remarkable statements and striking responses from respondents, but also to the atmosphere during the conversation, the attitude and behavior of the respondent or the group. These are the elements that you miss from the coded data on paper.

Despite the fact that the project leader watches the interview or discussion via a closed video circuit, a debriefing is often prepared by the moderator, because elements such as atmosphere and body language are more difficult to 'grasp' in the viewing room. In this way, several people are involved in the analysis, which is never based on the opinion and interpretation of just one person.