Coherence between data gathering technique and data analysis method in qualitative studies. A research experience based on leukemia survivors’ narratives

Abstract

Framed in the field of human sciences research, this paper is aimed at critically analyzing the issue of consistency between data gathering technique and data analysis method in qualitative research, starting from a study based on written narratives of patients who had suffered from leukemia, during their childhood/adolescence (Zannini et al., 2014). Even if we collected patients’ narratives, we did not choose Narrative Inquiry as research method, but we decided for a Grounded Theory study (Strauss & Corbin, 1990), a method that allow researchers to reconstruct the “theory”, which participants have developed on a certain phenomenon/process. The discussion of the paper is focused on the methodological issues, considering data analysis as a process that does not depend exclusively on data characteristics (i.e. narrative), but also on research questions and, consequently, on the selected research method.