The techniques used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data are quite different.  For quantitative data you are likely to want to describe the patterns you observe in the numbers you have collected.  If your analysis needs to go beyond the descriptive – and you are seeking to infer meaning from the data – it is best to seek advice. Qualitative data will generally be analysed using content or ‘thematic analysis’, a method which identifies patterns within the data, usually (but not always) participants’ words collected in interviews or focus group discussion.

You may want to explore how to collect and analyse data using arts-based methods such as film or video.  Some examples of ways in which researchers have gone about doing this can be browsed from this section.