Coding Community Conversations: Qualitative Data Analysis in Heritage Research

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Dialogue as Defense: Addressing Preservation Threats with Community Conversations on Heritage at Risk (CCHAR)", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Employing a case study from three "Community Conversations on Heritage at Risk" conducted in Apalachicola, Florida, between January and March 2024, this paper proposes a detailed methodology for analyzing qualitative data derived from ethnographic research. Supported by a grant from the National Estuarine Research Reserve System's Science Collaborative and in partnership with the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, the case study utilized NVivo to systematically code audio transcripts. Analysis then identified key themes through both emergent data patterns and applied theoretical frameworks. Findings demonstrate the efficacy of NVivo in deciphering complex qualitative data, offering insights into community perceptions of heritage and heritage at risk due to climate and other impacts within the Apalachicola area. Also discussed are alternative software and methodologies for comparable qualitative analysis research efforts in focus group settings.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Dialogue as Defense: Addressing Preservation Threats with Community Conversations on Heritage at Risk (CCHAR)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow