HOW TO DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK MANUALLY FROM QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW DATA

Abstract

Framework development in qualitative research is the systematic categorisation and interpretation of information or data to construct a conceptual structure which can be presented to explain relationships between emerging themes. However, the prevailing trend to use advanced software tools to analyse qualitative data poses several challenges for many researchers, especially those who consider those tools nonintuitive, resource-consuming, or not well-suited for their specific depth of inquiry. The objective of this review is to outline a structured, manual process for developing a conceptual framework grounded in interview data, highlighting each analytical stage from data familiarisation to thematic synthesis and framework construction. This review is a narrative review that discusses the processes involved in manually constructing a conceptual framework using the interview data in qualitative research. In qualitative research, especially in research where interviews are methods for data collection, the formation of a conceptual framework is a systematic process of inquiry that is rooted in the experiences of the participants and reflects the aggregated data. The process typically unfolds in four sequential but iterative steps: (a) data familiarisation; (b) initial coding and categorisation; (c) theme development; and (d) framework construction. In conclusion, the manual process of constructing conceptual frameworks from qualitative interview data is a methodically rigorous, context-dependent way of ensuring that the researcher remains deeply connected with their data whilst also generating organised and meaningful knowledge. For future research, researchers may wish to consider an in-depth comparison of manual and software-assisted frame build-up to test the applicability of manual methods to different disciplines and cultural contexts.