DA 402: Qualitative Analytics

Textbook Information

The following required textbooks are freely available through the Penn State Libraries E-Book program at no additional cost to you.

  • Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation 
    • Author: Sharan B. Merriam and Elizabeth J. Tisdell
    • Year: 2016
    • Publisher: Jossey-Bass: A Wiley Brand
    • ISBN-13: 978-1-119-00365-6 (e-book); 978-1-119-00361-8 (paperback)
  • Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers
    • Author: Johnny Saldaña
    • Year: 2009
    • Publisher: Sage Publications
    • ISBN-13: 9781446200353 (e-book); 9781847875495 (print)

Published Remarks

None

Hardware Requirements

None

Software Requirements

Taguette: Taguette is free qualitative research software. Please see the course for information about accessing and using Taguette.

Proctored Exams

None

Course Description

The majority of non-numeric data is unstructured (e.g., blogs, emails, forums). DA 402 is an overview of data analytics techniques for non-numeric data (e.g., text, videos or images). The methodological reasons for a qualitative rather than a quantitative approach, and the underlying challenges with this type of data depend on the questions that need answers. Often, this type of data can tell you why something is happening, more about the data environment, something about the people who are creating the data and insights into new opportunities for business organizations. This course will enable students to pursue further study in these types of practical applications. Students need a strong background in statistics before scheduling this course.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, successful students will be able to:

  1. Analyze qualitative methodologies that define a qualitative approach to data analytics. 
  2. Demonstrate the theoretical justification for the qualitative approach. 
  3. Demonstrate the preparation of data for qualitative analysis. 
  4. Apply appropriate software tools for qualitative analysis. 
  5. Apply qualitative methodologies, techniques, and rational to produce, analyze, and explain results. 

Course Structure

All course activities are contained in modules, where you will find:

  • An overview page, which serves as your guide to the module
  • Lesson materials and resource pages
  • Activities and assessments

This course consists of 15 content modules. 

Course Assignments

This course contains the following graded assignments.

  • Reading Worksheets: Reading worksheets are designed to reinforce and assess your understanding of the key concepts from the course readings. Each worksheet will contain questions related to the assigned reading materials, helping you to reflect on and apply what you’ve learned in a structured format.
  • Discussions: You will engage in 10 graded discussions, each designed to foster collaborative learning and critical thinking about the course content. These discussions will require you to think critically and respond thoughtfully to your peers’ contributions. 
  • Assignments and Quizzes: This category includes a variety of assignments and one quiz that give you the opportunity to demonstrate your learning.
  • Projects: In this course, you will complete three major projects that require you to integrate and apply multiple concepts learned. Each project is a substantial effort and is designed to deepen your understanding and skills.
  • Presentation: You will be required to prepare and deliver one comprehensive presentation (slide deck and video). This presentation will allow you to showcase your mastery within the course through both oral and visual communication. The video will demonstrate your ability to articulate your thoughts clearly and effectively, while the slide deck should be well-designed to support and enhance your presentation.

While most of the graded activities in this course are individual assignments, please note that you will be working in a small group for the following assignments:

  • Group Assignment and Discussion 6: Codes and Themes
  • Assignment 10: Group Assignment
  • Project A
  • Project B

Course Grading

The final course grade is determined as follows:

Assignment Categories and Grade Calculation
Assignment Total Points
Reading Worksheets (9 at 20 points each) 180
Discussions (10 at 10 points each) 100
Assignments and Quizzes (12 at 20 points each) 240
Projects (3 at 100 points each) 300
Presentation (Video and Slide Deck, 100 points each) 200
TOTAL 1020

You are responsible for checking your grades on Canvas and reporting any discrepancy to the instructor immediately. Any concern regarding the grading should be addressed directly to the instructor, no later than one week after the grade was released on Canvas and before the final day of the course. 

Letter grades will be based on the following scale:

Grading Scale
Letter Grade Range
A ≥ 93.00%
A- 90.00 – 92.99%
B+ 87.00 – 89.99%
B 83.00 – 86.99%
B- 80.00 – 82.99%
C+ 77.00 – 79.99%
C 70.00 – 76.99%
D 60.00 – 69.99%
F ≤ 59.99%

Grade Policy

You are responsible for checking your grades on Canvas and report in the case of any discrepancy. Items will be graded as quickly as possible with grades posted to Canvas. Any concern regarding the grading should be addressed directly and immediately to the instructor. Grade corrections will not be made after the last day of class.

Once the course ends, the grade that you have earned in the course has been determined by you. Note that grades are not rounded and are submitted to the registrar immediately at semester end. 

Late Submissions

Due dates are firm. If you need to request an exception due to a personal or medical emergency, contact the instructor directly as soon as you are able. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.