ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces four qualitative approaches to analyzing online talk. Thematic analysis, probably the most common approach to inductively analyzing text-based data, is best used when researchers are interested in what topics are being discussed in online talk and how they are being discussed. This is often useful when the online talk is in a novel context or environment in which it is not yet clear which theoretical framework may be most relevant to the analysis. Narrative analysis can be used to better understand how storytelling, metaphor, emplotment, and other narrative techniques are used by the participants. Conversation analysis is most useful when researchers are interested in a micro-analysis of each turn in the online conversation and what happens with each new contribution. Finally, discourse analysis can provide insights into how identity, power, and broader social categories are made visible through the online talk. We provide guidance around how to select which method of analysis may be most appropriate given the intended outcomes of the study and the research design. This chapter also provides examples of each of the four approaches, how findings are typically reported, and criteria for assessing study quality. Finally, we provide recommendations for the use of qualitative data analysis software.
