Systematic Guide to Qualitative Data Analysis within the C.O.S.T.A Postgraduate Research Model
The Problem: Qualitative Data Analysis is a complex undertaking by both novice and experienced researchers because of its many facets within the interpretive paradigm. In Costa (2018), the author argued that most of its complexities due to a variety of approaches including rigor determination pose a plethora of challenges to novice researchers.Background and Aim: This paper is presented against the background that Qualitative Data Analytic approaches present problems to novice researchers through their complicated definitions. The author devised a simplified analysis strategy linked to his method of postgraduate research andragogy, as explicated in Costa (2018). The Aim of this paper is to help postgraduate researchers follow a step by step methodical approach to generating themes and drawing conclusions from their studies. Methods: This paper presents a framework carefully constructed depicting 6 stages of qualitative data analysis. The framework is based on scientific approaches generally accepted within the qualitative research traditions. It further provides workable distinctions and relations between most popular methods of qualitative data analysis.