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Supportive Guide ~ Organising and Preparing Data for Dissertation Analysis - Dan Connell

This guide by Dan Connell provides structured support for organizing and preparing qualitative and quantitative data for dissertation analysis. It covers key steps such as transcribing interviews, cleaning data, coding, and systematically organizing files, as well as inputting and cleaning quantitative data. Proper preparation is emphasized to ensure accurate and meaningful analysis aligned with research objectives.

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2 views

Supportive Guide ~ Organising and Preparing Data for Dissertation Analysis - Dan Connell

This guide by Dan Connell provides structured support for organizing and preparing qualitative and quantitative data for dissertation analysis. It covers key steps such as transcribing interviews, cleaning data, coding, and systematically organizing files, as well as inputting and cleaning quantitative data. Proper preparation is emphasized to ensure accurate and meaningful analysis aligned with research objectives.

Uploaded by

deananthony380
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Supportive Guide: Organising and

Preparing Data for Dissertation Analysis


By Dan Connell

Dear all,

I hope you are doing well. As many of you are now nearing the end of your data collection
phase—whether through surveys, interviews, or questionnaires—this guide provides
structured support on how to organise and prepare your data before progressing to
analysis. Proper data preparation will help ensure your analysis is accurate, meaningful,
and aligned with your research objectives.

Section 1: Preparing Qualitative Data for Analysis

1. Transcribing Interviews (If Applicable)


If you have conducted interviews or focus groups, these must be transcribed into text
before analysis. You can:
- Manually transcribe by listening and typing out responses.
- Use transcription software (e.g., Otter.ai, NVivo, Descript) and review carefully for
accuracy.
- Structure transcripts clearly, using timestamps and speaker labels (e.g., “Interviewer:” /
“Participant:”).

2. Cleaning Your Data


Before starting your analysis, review your qualitative data for:
- Completeness – Check for missing information or gaps in transcripts.
- Accuracy – Correct any transcription errors or unclear phrasing.
- Consistency – Standardise formatting (e.g., consistent use of abbreviations, capitalisation).

3. Data Coding & Labelling


What is coding?
Coding involves assigning short labels or tags to segments of qualitative data to help
identify patterns and themes.

Example – Thematic Coding from Interview Transcript:


“I had a long layover, and the staff were really helpful. They even provided me with a meal
voucher. But the check-in queue was disorganised, and I had to wait almost an hour.”
- Positive customer service → “staff were really helpful,” “provided me with a meal voucher”
- Negative customer service → “check-in queue was disorganised,” “wait almost an hour”

Themes:
- Customer service experiences (helpfulness, meal vouchers, attitude)
- Operational efficiency (queueing, delays, service design)

Example – Coding Open-Ended Survey Responses:


Question: “What do you think about airline ticket pricing?”
- “Too expensive” → Code: High-cost perception
- “Fair for what you get” → Code: Value-for-money perception
- “Confusing pricing structure” → Code: Lack of transparency

4. Organising Data Files Systematically


To avoid confusion during analysis, keep your data well-labelled and safely stored:
- Name files clearly (e.g., Interview_1_Anna_10Feb.docx, SurveyResponses_Cleaned.xlsx)
- Use tools like Excel or NVivo to track your coding and themes.
- Back up your data in multiple locations (OneDrive, Google Drive, USB).

5. Familiarising Yourself with the Data


Take time to read through your transcripts and responses carefully:
- Note recurring ideas, phrases, or emotions.
- Review and refine your initial coding structure.
- Check that your coding aligns with your research aims.

Section 2: Preparing Quantitative Data for Analysis

1. Inputting Data into a Spreadsheet


Use Excel, Google Sheets, or SPSS to input your survey/questionnaire results:
- Each row represents one respondent.
- Each column represents a variable or question (e.g., Age, Satisfaction score, Likert scale).

Example layout:
Respondent ID | Age | Gender | Satisfaction (1–5) | Recommend (1 = Yes, 0 = No)
001 | 24 | 1 | 4 |1
002 | 31 | 2 | 3 |0

Best practices:
- Use clear and consistent variable names (e.g., “Satisfaction” rather than “Q3a”).
- Avoid full text where numerical codes can be used (e.g., 1 = Male, 2 = Female).
2. Data Cleaning
Before beginning any statistical analysis:
- Check for missing data and decide how to handle it.
- Look for outliers or errors and correct as needed.
- Standardise formats for consistent entries.
- Convert text into numerical codes where appropriate (e.g., Yes/No → 1/0).

3. Coding & Labelling Variables for Analysis


Assign codes to categorical variables to make them compatible with statistical tools.

Example – Coded Survey Responses:


- Gender: 1 = Male, 2 = Female
- Satisfaction: 1–5 (Very Poor to Excellent)
- Recommend: 1 = Yes, 0 = No

4. Creating a Data Dictionary (Optional but Useful)


A data dictionary is a separate sheet that explains each variable and its coding.

Example:
Variable | Description | Values
Age | Age of respondent | Numeric (e.g., 18–99)
Gender | Self-identified gender | 1 = Male, 2 = Female
Satisfaction | Customer satisfaction rating | 1–5 (Very Poor to Excellent)
Recommend | Would recommend the airline | 1 = Yes, 0 = No

Why this is useful:


- Makes your dataset easier to understand and interpret.
- Helps others reviewing your data to follow your structure.

5. Organising and Backing Up Your Data Files


- Save an unedited version of your raw data.
- Create a cleaned version for analysis with coded variables.
- Back up your files securely using cloud storage or external drives.

Final Notes
Getting your data well-organised and correctly coded at this stage will make your analysis
much smoother and more robust. It also helps avoid common pitfalls that can affect your
results later on.

This guide is intended to provide supportive direction, but you are strongly encouraged to
conduct further independent reading to ensure your data preparation aligns with your
research methods and academic expectations.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your approach in more detail, please
don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes,
Dan

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