Center Assistant Professor Dr. Laura Cabrera was recently published in the journal Sociological Methods & Research. The article, “A Novel Sequential Mixed-method Technique for Contrastive Analysis of Unscripted Qualitative Data: Contrastive Quantitized Content Analysis,” was co-authored by Dr. Cabrera and Peter B. Reiner of the National Core for Neuroethics at University of British Columbia. The article was published online ahead of print on August 4, 2016.
Abstract: Between-subject design surveys are a powerful means of gauging public opinion, but critics rightly charge that closed-ended questions only provide slices of insight into issues that are considerably more complex. Qualitative research enables richer accounts but inevitably includes coder bias and subjective interpretations. To mitigate these issues, we have developed a sequential mixed-methods approach in which content analysis is quantitized and then compared in a contrastive fashion to provide data that capitalize upon the features of qualitative research while reducing the impact of coder bias in analysis of the data. This article describes the method and demonstrates the advantages of the technique by providing an example of insights into public attitudes that have not been revealed using other methods.
The full text is available on the Sociological Methods & Research website (note: institutional access, such as access through Michigan State University Libraries, may be required to view the full text).
Dr. Cabrera is a faculty affiliate in the National Core for Neuroethics at University of British Columbia.
MSU Bioethics 