Zulkifli A. Manaf
Jamaludin Tubah
Fakulti Pendidikan
Universiti Malaya
Kuala Lumpur

Date: 26 October 2001
Time: 11.30-12.00

This article considers approaches (discussions) of the systematic analysis of qualitative data.  It emphasizes on data management strategies as qualitative techniques can generate a large amount of data, which can easily become unruly and unmanageable.  Although there is no prescriptive formulae for this task, in qualitative studies the amount of structure that is given to the data collection can be seen as part of the analysis.  This article observes several approaches of data collection, such as, pre-collection coding systems, post-collection quantification of relatively structured data, post-collection analysis of a more qualitative kind (still with relatively structured data) and analyzing data with less pre-planned structure.  In summary, these approaches in analyzing data (raw material) are important in demonstrating the reliability and validity of any analysis.