3.2 DATA ANALYSIS
3.2.1 Qualitative concepts
Several qualitative research methodologists (Miles & Huberman 1994, Patton 2002) consider the most important part of qualitative research being the inductive approach, or the act of data reduction. During the course of study development, data collection, and data analysis, the researcher continually searched for feedback and developed “categories or dimensions of analysis that emerge from open-ended observations as the inquirer comes to understand the phenomenon being investigated” (Patton, p. 56). Patton (2002) states, “ theories about what is happening in a setting are grounded in and emerge from direct field experience rather than being imposed a priori as is the case in formal hypothesis and theory testing” (p. 56).
Miles and Huberman (1994) consider the act of data reduction to occur throughout the entire course of the study. Miles and Huberman (1994) define data reduction as “the process of selecting, focusing, simplifying, abstracting, and transforming the data that appear in written-up field notes or transcriptions” (p. 10). The qualitative data was reduced and became part of the process to inform the reader of the story that was transformed by the data. Miles and Huberman (1994) state, “Data reduction is a form of analysis that sharpens, sorts, focuses, discards, and organizes data in such a way that ‘final’ conclusions can be drawn and verified” (p. 11).
Based on the results of the interviews, a spreadsheet was developed to provide a description of the vice presidents/deans responses by theme and category types by community college. The coded themes were created as a result of review of the interview transcript data. The themes derived from the interview data served as the method for describing the study findings.