1. INTRODUCTION
3.5 DATA ANALYSIS
The researcher also conducted data analysis simultaneously with data collection and data interpretation. Creswell ( 1994) explained that in qualitative research several simultaneous activities engage the attention of the researcher. The researcher takes voluminous amount of data and reduces it to certain patterns, categories or themes and then interprets this information using a particular schema.
Tesch (1992 ) also stated that the researcher gets the initial sense of the main factors, plots the logical relationships tentatively, setting them against the next wave of data collection, modifying and refining them into a new explanatory map, which gets tested against new cases and instances.
Then the chain of evidence becomes confirmed and the conclusions are cast into the form of conceptual statements that represent the results of the study.
Initially the researcher planned to use a computer to analyse the data. The Nvivo programme was to be utilized as it has tools for handling all sorts of qualitative data. These tools help the researcher in different ways of indexing, Searching and Theorizing. Hence Nvivo provides the QRS's software packages and the acronym is called the 'NUDI 1st' programme. The researcher first learned about this programme by attending a demonstration. A computer specialist was engaged to assist the researcher in the continuation of data analysis using such a programme to make sure there was proper data analysis. This did not happen since the data was such that the researcher could use manual analysis.
The data collected through interviews using the audio-tape, was immediately transcribed into written form. The data in Siswati (local language ) was translated into English for the purpose of analysis. Some of the data was already in the form offield notes. While creating categories as data
collection was going on, the researcher reached a point of data saturation. There was no new information gathered by which the researcher could create new categories. This occurred during the individual interviews and during the post focussed groups process evaluations. There was support for the construction of categories from the participants as there was no new information being added while data collection was on going. This support maximised verification of data and allowed for the evidence of validity in this qualitative study ( Polit & Hung1er, 1995).
This study was analysed using the principles of content analysis for the first and second stages and process analysis was done only for the special projects. Tesch (1992) explains that in content analysis the many words of the text are classified under increasingly fewer categories. The basic procedure in content analysis is to design categories relevant to the research purpose and to sort occurrences of relevant words or other recording units into categories. Manipulating data in qualitative research is an eclectic activity, there is no one 'right' way. It is possible to analyse any phenomenon in more than one way, and each qualitative analyst must find his own process. The result of the analysis is some type of higher-level synthesis. The final goal is a larger consolidated picture.
3. 6 CREDffiILITY OF THE STUDY
The methodology of this study has been presented clearly and the researcher followed the steps of data collection that were planned. The selection ofparticipants was based on the fact that they would all provide relevant data for the research. The researcher reached a stage whereby theoretical sampling was done. Brink (1993) states that theoretical sampling is a method whereby the researcher continues to select participants according to the findings that emerge in the study until no new information is obtained. Polit and Hungler (1995) refer to this print as saturation of data. The collection and analysis of data led the researcher to be able to see the need to implement and evaluate some of the recommended strategies, hence increasing the significance and validity of the study.
Data analysis has been allowed to occur simultaneously with data collection. After collection of data from two areas, Sithobela and Dvokolwako health care Centres, the researcher entered the process of analysing the data after which gaps were filled in with data collected from individuals in the post-focussed group interviews and during the meetings held after the focussed group sessions. This led to the implementation of strategies based on the findings from the initial individual interviews and the focussed group sessions.
Special projects were identified and implemented. These special projects formed the base for collaboration. The project which looked into the efficacy and safety of traditional healers medicines attempted to establish some form of trust between the two which is very essential for collaboration.
All participants had to be at the same level for collaboration to take place, so the establishment of some legal structure and a constitution as well as trying to establish an office for traditional healers
in the Ministry of Health was seen as a way of empowering traditional healers. lIDs step would bring them to the same legal and official level as the western trained health care workers so that collaboration could take place.
The data was critically analysed by the researcher to enhance the credibility of the various stages of the study. Apart from carefully describing every phase of the study, the researcher used quotes from participants to illustrate categories developed or themes identified. The researcher was engaged for a prolonged period of time. Triangulation was done by comparing data from multiple sources such as the individual interviews, two initial meetings, series of meetings and the experimental strategies (Kimchi, et, a1, 1991). Brink (1993) states that triangulation's major goal is to circumvent the personal biases of investigators and overcome the deficiencies intrinsic to single-investigator, single theory, or single-method study, thus increasing the validity of the study.
In reaching the criteria of fittingness the theoretical essences of collaboration was derived from the data itself and was then compared with other sets of data such as the available literature, by Henneman and Langford.. An expert qualitative researcher was utilised to monitor clearly the decisions taken by the researcher within every phase of the study.
According to Denzin and Lincoln (1994) a qualitative study should address the experiences and qualifications of the researcher in relation to credibility. Thus the researcher in this study is best described as a facilitator..