Potentials and Limits of Secondary Analysis in a Specific Applied Context: The Case of EDF—Verbatim

Authors

  • Magdalini Dargentas GRETS (R&D-EDF)
  • Dominique Le Roux Electricité de France

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-6.1.505

Keywords:

secondary analysis, qualitative data, archiving, content analysis, applied and industrial context, methodology, qualitative software

Abstract

In this paper we present the results of secondary analyses conducted on documents recorded in VERBATIM, the qualitative data archiving system and database developed by the Sociological Surveys Department (GRETS) of Electricité de France (EDF). The archived studies, unique in France, offer some specific methodological and theoretical features. In order to explain their properties, constraints, and diversity we present four re-analysis studies, which provide an overview of the research aims and topics, the body of textual data, the methods of the secondary analysis and the conditions under which re-analysis can be judged as reliable. We also explore the use of qualitative software in these analyses. Furthermore, we focus on the Sociological Surveys Department researchers' attitudes towards secondary analysis, which shed light on the future development of secondary analysis in France. Finally, we present a future project concerning scientific collaboration with the Centre d'Informatisation des Données Socio-Politiques (CIDSP) which aims to develop more systematic qualitative data archiving and secondary analysis in France. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0501404

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Magdalini Dargentas, GRETS (R&D-EDF)

Magda DARGENTAS: Ph.D. candidate in Social Psychology at the EHESS, Researcher under contract with the Social Science Research Group in the Research and Development Division of Electricité de France and with the CIDSP-CNRS.

Dominique Le Roux, Electricité de France

Dominique Le ROUX, Ph.D. Linguistics and Information Science, Sociologist, Research Engineer in the Social Science Research Group in the Research and Development Division of Electricité de France. Manager of the VERBATIM project (Qualitative data archiving and secondary analysis).

Downloads

Published

2005-01-31

How to Cite

Dargentas, M., & Le Roux, D. (2005). Potentials and Limits of Secondary Analysis in a Specific Applied Context: The Case of EDF—Verbatim. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-6.1.505

Issue

Section

Approaches to Re-use: Asking New Questions of Old Data