How to analyze interview data

Every time I conduct structured or semi-structured interviews as part of an evaluation, I feel a bit overwhelmed when I open the folder on my computer with the interview transcripts. How do I take all of this text and turn it into something meaningful?

I'm still working out different techniques, but I've been surprised how much I end up getting out of going through the following simple routine.

Step 1. I open a new word document and write out main questions that the interview was meant to answer. If I was looking for anything specific (e.g. a story about a frustrating visitor experience or an idea for how the library could be more user-friendly for seniors) then I'll also write that down.

These become my main section headings for analyzing the data.

Step 2. I read through each interview and copy/paste sections of the interview under the appropriate section heading. I try to do this thoughtfully but not agonizingly. I usually set a timer to keep myself from getting bogged down in hyper-interpretation. I often set the original interview text in italics once it's been copy/pasted once. That way I can skip sections that I don't know what to do with and come back to them later.

Step 3. I read through my categorized document and start shifting quotes around, as needed. Sometimes I'll put a quote in 2 different places, but not often. I've found that if I do that too much, I end up with way too many categories and subcategories. Keep it simple.

Step 4. I take some time away from the analysis. A day or two, if possible.

Step 5. I go through step 3 again.

Step 6. I look over my data and ask myself, "so what?" This is where the fun interpretation stage comes in. Once I get to this point, I've found that I'm familiar enough with the data to really be able to question my assumptions and be intellectually honest about whether my assessment is founded in fact or in preconception.