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5 qualitative data analysis methods
Qualitative data uncovers valuable insights that can be used to improve the user and customer experience . z
But how exactly do you measure and analy e data
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that isn t quanti fi able?
There are di fferent qualitative data analysis methods to help you make sense of qualitative feedback and customer insights, depending on your business
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goals and the type of data you ve collected .
PX INSIGHTS AND BEHAVIOR ANALYTICS
LAST UPDATED
9 AUG 2022
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Before you choose a qualitative data analysis method for your team , you need to consider the available techniques and explore their use cases to understand
how each process might help your team better understand your users .
This guide covers five qualitative analysis methods to choose from, and will help you pick the right one(s) based on your goals.
What is qualitative data analysis
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Qualitative data analysis (QDA) is the process of organizing, analyzing, and interpreting qualitative data—non-numeric, conceptual information and user
feedback —to capture themes and patterns, answer research questions , and identify actions to take to improve your product or website .
💡 Qualitative data often refers to user behavior data and customer feedback.
Use product experience insights software — '
like Hotjar s Observe and Ask tools —to capture qualitative data with context ,
and learn the real motivation behind user behavior .
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Hotjar s feedback widget lets your customers share their opinions
5 qualitative data analysis methods explained
Here are fi '
ve methods of qualitative data analysis to help you make sense of the data you ve collected through customer interviews , surveys , :
and feedback
1. Content analysis
2. Thematic analysis
3. Narrative analysis
4. Grounded theory analysis
5. Discourse analysis
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Let s look at each method one by one , using real examples of qualitative data analysis .
1. Content analysis
Content analysis is a research method that examines and quanti fies the presence of certain words, subjects, and concepts in text, image, video, or audio
messages . The method transforms qualitative input into quantitative data to help you make reliable conclusions about what customers think of your brand ,
and how you can improve their experience and opinion .
You can conduct content analysis manually or by using tools like Lexalytics to reveal patterns in communications , uncover di ff erences in individual or group
communication trends , and make connections between concepts .
Content analysis was a major part of our growth during my time at Hypercontext .
[ It gave us ] a better understanding of the [ blog ] topics that performed best for signing
.
new users up We were also able to go deeper within those blog posts to better
understand the formats [ that worked ].
Hiba Amin
Senior Demand Gen Manager, TestBox
How content analysis can help your team
Content analysis is often used by marketers and customer service specialists , helping them understand customer behavior and measure brand reputation .
For example , -
you may run a customer survey with open ended questions to discover users ’ concerns —in their own words—about their experience with your
product . ,
Instead of having to process hundreds of answers manually a content analysis tool helps you analy e and group results based on the emotion z
expressed in texts .
Some other examples of content analysis include :
z
Analy ing brand mentions on social media to understand your brand s reputation '
Reviewing customer feedback to evaluate ( and then improve) the customer and user experience ( UX)
Researching competitors ’ website pages to identify their competitive advantages and value propositions
Interpreting customer interviews and survey results to determine user preferences , and setting the direction for new product or feature developments
Content analysis bene fits and challenges
Content analysis has some signi fi cant advantages for small teams :
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You don t need to directly interact with participants to collect data
The process is easily replicable once standardi ed z
You can automate the process or perform it manually
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It doesn t require high investments or sophisticated solutions
On the downside , content analysis has certain limitations :
,
When conducted manually it can be incredibly time consuming -
The results are usually a ffected by subjective interpretation
Manual content analysis can be subject to human error
The process isn t e ’ ffective for complex textual analysis
2. Thematic analysis
Thematic analysis helps to identify analy e , z , and interpret patterns in qualitative data, and can be done with tools like Dovetail and Thematic .
While content analysis and thematic analysis seem similar they re di , ' fferent in concept:
Content analysis can be applied to both qualitative and quantitative data , and focuses on identifying frequencies and recurring words and subjects .
Thematic analysis can only be applied to qualitative data , and focuses on identifying patterns and ‘ themes’.
How thematic analysis can help your team
Thematic analysis can be used by pretty much anyone : from product marketers, to customer relationship managers , to UX researchers .
For example , product teams can use thematic analysis to better understand user behaviors and needs , and to improve UX. By analyzing customer
feedback , you can identify themes ( e. g. ‘ poor navigation’ or ‘ buggy mobile interface’) highlighted by users , and get actionable insight into what users really
expect from the product .
Thematic analysis bene fits and challenges
Some bene fi ts of thematic analysis:
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It s one of the most accessible analysis forms , ’
meaning you don t have to train your teams on it
Teams can easily draw important information from raw data
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It s an e ffective way to process large amounts of data into digestible summaries
And some drawbacks of thematic analysis :
In a complex narrative , '
thematic analysis can t capture the true meaning of a text
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Thematic analysis doesn t consider the context of the data being analy ed z
Similar to content analysis , the method is subjective and might drive results that don t necessarily align with reality '
3. Narrative analysis
Narrative analysis is a method used to interpret research participants ’ stories—things like testimonials, case studies, interviews, and other text or visual
data—with tools like Delve and AI-powered ATLAS. ti.
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Some formats narrative analysis doesn t work for are heavily structured interviews and written surveys - , ’
which don t give participants as much opportunity
to tell their stories in their own words .
How narrative analysis can help your team
Narrative analysis provides product teams with valuable insight into the complexity of customers ’ lives, feelings, and behaviors.
In a marketing research context , narrative analysis involves capturing and reviewing customer stories —on social media, for example —to get more insight
into their lives , priorities , and challenges .
z
This might look like analy ing daily content shared by your audiences ’ favorite in fl uencers on Instagram, z
or analy ing customer reviews on sites like G 2 or
Capterra to understand individual customers ' experiences .
Narrative analysis bene fits and challenges
Businesses turn to narrative analysis for a number of reasons :
The method provides you with a deep understanding of your customers ' actions —and the motivations behind them
z
It allows you to personali e customer experiences
It keeps customer pro fi les as wholes, instead of fragmenting them into components that can be interpreted di fferently
,
However this data analysis method also has drawbacks :
Narrative analysis cannot be automated
It requires a lot of time and manual e ffort to make conclusions on an individual participant s story ’
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It s not scalable
4. Grounded theory analysis
Grounded theory analysis is a method of conducting qualitative research to develop theories by examining real world data - . The technique involves the
creation of hypotheses and theories through the collection and evaluation of qualitative data , and can be performed with tools like MAXQDA and Delve .
Unlike other qualitative data analysis methods , this technique develops theories from data , not the other way round.
How grounded theory analysis can help your team
Grounded theory analysis is used by software engineers , product marketers , managers , and other specialists that deal with data to make informed business
decisions .
For example , product marketing teams may turn to customer surveys to understand the reasons behind high churn rates , then use grounded theory to
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analy e responses and develop hypotheses about why users churn , and how you can get them to stay .
Grounded theory can also be helpful in the talent management process . For example , HR representatives may use it to develop theories about low employee
engagement , and come up with solutions based on their fi ndings.
Grounded theory analysis bene fits and challenges
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Here s why teams turn to grounded theory analysis :
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It explains events that can t be explained with existing theories
The fi ndings are tightly connected to data
The results are data informed - , and therefore represent the proven state of things
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It s a useful method for researchers that know very little information on the topic
Some drawbacks of grounded theory are :
, ,
The process requires a lot of objectivity creativity and critical thinking from researchers
Because theories are developed based on data instead of the other way around , ' it s considered to be overly theoretical , and may not provide concise
answers to qualitative research questions
5. Discourse analysis
Discourse analysis is the act of researching the underlying meaning of qualitative data . It involves the observation of texts , audio , and videos to study the
relationships between the information and its context .
In contrast to content analysis , the method focuses on the contextual meaning of language : discourse analysis sheds light on what audiences think of a topic ,
and why they feel the way they do about it .
How discourse analysis can help your team
In a business context , the method is primarily used by marketing teams . Discourse analysis helps marketers understand the norms and ideas in their
market , and reveals why they play such a signi fi cant role for their customers .
Once the origins of trends are uncovered , ’ it s easier to develop a company mission , create a unique tone of voice , and craft e ff ective marketing messages .
Discourse analysis bene fits and challenges
Discourse analysis has the following bene fi : ts
It uncovers the motivation behind your customers ’ or employees ’ words , written or spoken
It helps teams discover the meaning of customer data , competitors ’ strategies , and employee feedback
But it also has drawbacks :
Similar to most qualitative data analysis methods , discourse analysis is subjective
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The process is time consuming and labor intensive -
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It s very broad in its approach
Which qualitative data analysis method should you choose ?
While the fi ve qualitative data analysis methods we list above are aimed at processing data and answering research questions , these techniques di ff er in
their intent and the approaches applied .
Choosing the right analysis method for your team isn t a matter of preference ' — selecting a method that fi ts is only possible when you de fi ne your research
goals and have a clear intention . Once you know what you need ( and why you need it ), you can identify an analysis method that aligns with your objectives .
Gather qualitative data with Hotjar
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Use Hotjar s product experience insights in your qualitative research . Collect feedback , uncover behavior
trends , and understand the ‘ why ’ behind user actions .
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FAQs about qualitative data analysis methods
What is the qualitative data analysis approach ?
What are qualitative data analysis methods ?
