A discussion of qualitative data analysis in hospitality research with examples from an ethnography of English public houses

This paper argues that qualitative Hospitality research is infrequently reported in Hospitality journals and that when such research does appear, the processes of data analysis seldom receive rigorous attention. Different analytic practices are discussed using a real-life example of qualitative research—an ethnography of English pubs—showing some techniques in action and highlighting issues and challenges that often face qualitative researchers. Data reduction, deconstruction (data management) and reconstruction (interpretation and conceptualization) are discussed and techniques such as reflective note-taking, line-by-line analysis, domain and taxonomic charting, visual/diagrammatic constructions and metaphor are considered. It is argued that greater reporting of and discussion of data analysis would enhance the qualitative literature in hospitality research.