Identify the message, show how the text or image conveys it, and check what evidence supports it.
A text or cartoon can reveal a viewpoint without proving every claim it makes. Check who made it, when, why and what evidence it provides.
An invented resident says, "I stopped using the path after the lights failed." This reports one experience and suggests that lighting mattered. It does not prove that all residents stopped using the path. Compare other accounts, observations and repair records to investigate the wider pattern.
A cartoon may use exaggeration, labels or contrast to make a point. Imagine "Ten new bins: problem solved!" above overflowing bins. The contrast questions whether installing equipment is enough. It does not provide a real litter count or show how every waste system performs.
When analysing qualitative accounts, code passages by theme, such as access, comfort or safety. Apply the same rules and keep quotations that show different experiences. Colour-coded quotations can make the link between theme and evidence clear.
A word cloud uses word size to show frequency. But "safe" appears in both "safe" and "not safe", so frequency alone can hide the meaning. Read the surrounding words and include unusual or opposing accounts instead of selecting only evidence that supports your conclusion.
Step by step
Identify the message
State the viewpoint and show how words, labels or contrast convey it.
Check the evidence
Distinguish a person's account, a measurement and a claim without support.
Compare sources
Check other accounts or measurements. Keep the original meaning when quoting or coding.
Worked example: Do not count away a disagreement
If six interviews praise shade and two report that the shaded path is inaccessible to wheelchairs, the second finding remains important. Frequency helps describe the sample, but does not determine whose needs deserve consideration.
Watch out for this
A large word in a word cloud proves respondents approve of it.
Size usually reflects frequency, not sentiment or significance. Read the surrounding phrases and how the data were collected.
Check your understanding
A cartoon shows overflowing bins beneath a banner saying "problem solved". What is the best interpretation?
- It questions whether installing bins alone guarantees effective waste management.
- It proves an exact national recycling rate.
- It proves every resident dislikes all bins.