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Best Practices for Qualitative Data Management in Research

Learn essential strategies for qualitative data management, addressing common problems, types of data, and best practices to ensure quality, integrity, and accessibility. Explore effective organization, data storage, version control, and backup methods.

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Best Practices for Qualitative Data Management in Research

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  1. Responsible Conduct of Research:Qualitative Data Management Edna Greene Medford, Ph.D. Department of History

  2. Exercise: Qualitative Data Management Nightmares • What data management issues have you faced? What were the immediate and long-term consequences to your research project? How did you resolve these issues?

  3. Objectives of Data Management • To ensure quality of collection • To ensure ease of accessibility • To maintain integrity of data once collected • To safeguard the privacy of human subjects

  4. Common Data Management Problems • Poor quality control in data collection • Insufficient or unclear file naming system • Inconsistency in documenting sources • Incomplete field notes or recorded data • Loss of data through carelessness or failure to back up

  5. Types of qualitative Data • Field notes • Transcribed interviews • Focus group transcripts • Photos • Newspapers • Government documents, laws, court records • Speeches, addresses, letters, diaries • Audio and video recordings • Observations

  6. Best Practices of qualitative Data Management • Establish and follow quality control procedures • Organize data into clearly delineated files • Determine storage medium • Back up copies • Ensure authenticity and version control

  7. Develop Quality Control Procedures • Determine before collection how you wish to proceed • Be clear on your methodology and aware of its limitations • Transcribe carefully and accurately • Document thoroughly

  8. Organizing Your data • Ensure that each file/document is clearly and properly named • Abstract each file; identify themes and information relevant to your study • Cross-reference with other documents/files of similar subject matter

  9. Data Storage • If digitized data, determine best medium for storage (USB drives, CDs, DVDs, etc.) • Utilize best practices for securing storage devices • If data is to be stored on hard drive, ensure that computer is secure

  10. Keeping Track of revisions • Identify file/document version—first draft, revised, final, etc. • Indicate what changes have been made • Retain original or older files

  11. Back Up Files • Select an alternative storage medium • Store at least one copy of data off-site • Retain original, non-digitized data (including notes, interview consent forms, etc.) at the conclusion of the project/research

  12. Exercise • Using your specific discipline as example, what procedures have been implemented to ensure quality control in data collection and management?

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