Getting started · Introductory
Literature Reviews and Documentary Analysis with SAM Collect
From source discovery to comparative interpretation. A free Zoom account is required to watch the private course replay.
Articles, reports and policy documents can offer valuable perspectives on a research question. Bringing them together also raises practical analytical decisions: which sources belong in the collection, what information is available, how arguments differ, and which passages support a developing interpretation.
What you will explore
- Translate a research question into a bounded collection plan and choose a suitable collection or import route.
- Distinguish the analytical possibilities of metadata, abstracts and full-text documents.
- Organise selected material and apply a starting coding framework while recording the reasons for analytical choices.
- Develop an initial comparison linked to source records and relevant passages.
This 90-minute introductory webinar shows how SAM can support a literature-review or documentary-analysis workflow, from a focused question to an organised collection and an initial comparison of evidence.
The trainer will demonstrate how to discover records through SAM Collect, using OpenAlex and a public-document source such as GOV.UK, and how to import materials you already hold. Supported imports include UTF-8 CSV, JSON, TXT, Markdown, PDF and Word documents.
We will consider how search terms, dates, source types and relevance decisions shape the resulting collection. A source record may offer bibliographic information, an abstract, an extract or full text, depending on the source and material available. Understanding that distinction is part of deciding which questions the collection can answer.
After reviewing the material, we will follow it into SAM's analysis workflow. Topics and entities can provide an initial overview; close reading and coding can help develop a more specific interpretation. We will examine a small coding example and consider how suggested labels or summaries relate to the documents themselves.
A comparison of two prepared collections will illustrate differences in how scholarly and policy sources address a common question. A brief network example will show how recurring concepts can prompt further enquiry. The session develops practical skills for organising and analysing a selected body of evidence, with attention to the source information needed for later writing.
Who it is for
Researchers, doctoral students and practitioners planning a literature review, evidence overview or documentary analysis. Some familiarity with qualitative research is helpful. No previous SAM experience is required.
The teaching example
A bounded scholarly and documentary collection supports discovery, source review and evidence comparison. Coverage and available full text vary by source.
Session outline
| Topic | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Review question, scope and available forms of evidence | 10 |
| Trainer-led OpenAlex and document-import demonstration | 15 |
| Review source records, relevance decisions and an initial analytical overview | 15 |
| Screen break | 5 |
| A focused coding example using selected documents or excerpts | 15 |
| Compare scholarly and policy material; introduce one network observation if useful | 15 |
| Assemble a short evidence comparison and explain the worked template | 7 |
| Questions and continued-practice guidance | 8 |
Researcher decisions
You define the review question, inclusion criteria and the contribution of each source type. You check text completeness and provenance, then explain how source passages support the comparison and its limits.
Your practical takeaway
A worked collection plan and evidence-comparison template that you can adapt for your own research, alongside a short example of source-grounded synthesis.
Suggested preparation
Some familiarity with qualitative research. No previous SAM experience is required.
To watch your private course replay, you will need a free Zoom account. Please use the same email address as your booking, or contact us before the course if your Zoom account uses a different address.
Practical questions
Preparation and materials for this delivery
Some familiarity with qualitative research. No previous SAM experience is required.
Your booking includes named access to the shared SAM teaching workspace on the day of your course and for the following 14 days, ending at 23:59 Europe/London on the fourteenth day after your course. Explore around ten prepared teaching datasets and practise the course methods. A paid SAM subscription is not required. The teaching workspace uses the supplied datasets only; uploading or importing your own data and starting new data collections are unavailable. You may watch the demonstration or use the included practice access.
Slides, handouts and practice datasets are included. Slides and handouts are available to download for 30 days from sharing and may be kept for personal learning and reference. Separate dataset and source licences still apply.
A checked recording of the teaching and demonstration will be shared with registered participants within five working days of the course, with checked replay captions. It will remain available to view for 30 days from sharing. Recording access continues independently of the SAM teaching workspace access period. To watch your private course replay, you will need a free Zoom account. Please use the same email address as your booking, or contact us before the course if your Zoom account uses a different address.
90 minutes, including a five-minute screen break.
Full refunds, including booking fees, are available at least seven calendar days before the webinar, or within 14 days after the day of booking even after attendance or resource access. One free transfer to an available published repeat requires 48 hours’ notice; substitutes require 24 hours’ notice and the applicable ticket eligibility. See Practical questions below for the full cancellation, transfer and refund arrangements.
Live online via Zoom, with automatic English captions. For accessibility requests, use the training enquiry form: https://samapp.bigqualdatalabs.com/support/training?reason=accessibility You will be able to tell us what would help you take part, without sharing a medical diagnosis. Questions can be asked through chat or speech, and camera use is optional.
How long are the courses and how are they delivered?
Course duration, dates and times are shown with each delivery. Sessions run live online via Zoom with automatic English captions. The 90-minute sessions include a five-minute screen break; longer workshops have their own schedules. Check your selected delivery for its time and timezone. Dates labelled Proposed remain provisional.
Can I watch the demonstration or take part?
For sessions that include teaching-workspace access, your booking includes named access to the shared SAM teaching workspace on the day of your course and for the following 14 days, ending at 23:59 Europe/London on the fourteenth day after your course. Explore around ten prepared teaching datasets and practise the course methods. A paid SAM subscription is not required. The teaching workspace uses the supplied datasets only; uploading or importing your own data and starting new data collections are unavailable. You may watch the demonstration or use the included practice access. Each course states its access arrangements before bookings open.
Do I need to attend every date?
No. Repeat dates teach the same course; choose one delivery per topic. Courses can be taken separately where you meet their suggested preparation, including equivalent prior experience.
What experience do I need?
Check the suggested preparation on each course page. It explains any previous SAM experience, prerequisite course or equivalent experience needed.
What will attendance cost?
Course fees are shown with each delivery. Sessions priced at £60 standard or £40 student/access include booking fees. The student/access rate is for students, unwaged researchers and researchers personally funding attendance without institutional training support. Fees are confirmed before a session opens for booking.
Will I receive a recording and materials?
For sessions that include a replay, a checked recording of the teaching and demonstration will be shared with registered participants within five working days of the course, with checked replay captions. It will remain available to view for 30 days from sharing. Recording access continues independently of the SAM teaching workspace access period. Slides, handouts and practice datasets are included. Slides and handouts are available to download for 30 days from sharing and may be kept for personal learning and reference. Separate dataset and source licences still apply. To watch your private course replay, you will need a free Zoom account. Please use the same email address as your booking, or contact us before the course if your Zoom account uses a different address. Included benefits are shown on each course page before bookings open.
What will be recorded, and how long are meeting files kept?
We record the trainer, slides and SAM demonstrations. Participant gallery view, names and chat are kept out of the shared recording. Questions are repeated anonymously and recording is paused for personal-case discussions. Camera-off attendance is welcome. Raw recordings and any participant-identifying transcripts or chats are deleted within 60 days of first sharing the replay.
Is there a SAM subscription offer?
For sessions that include the subscription offer, course attendees receive 20% off the first eligible Academic or Professional individual SAM subscription invoice only: the first monthly invoice or the first annual invoice. Subsequent invoices use normal pricing. Redeem within 30 days of your course date. Standard pricing applies afterwards. The offer applies once per customer to individual subscription fees and cannot be combined with another promotional discount. Additional processing Credits, top-ups, private training and team or institutional plans are excluded. Repeat course attendance does not extend or restart the discount. A subscription purchase is optional and separate from the course booking. Included benefits are shown on each course page before bookings open.
How can I request an accessibility adjustment?
Live online via Zoom, with automatic English captions. Request an adjustment through Ask about training: https://samapp.bigqualdatalabs.com/support/training?reason=accessibility You will be able to tell us what would help you take part, without sharing a medical diagnosis. Questions can be asked through chat or speech, and camera use is optional.
Can I cancel my booking?
You can cancel for a full refund, including booking fees, at least seven calendar days before your webinar starts. We also offer a full refund if you cancel within 14 days after the day you booked, including if you have already attended or accessed the recording or teaching workspace. For later cancellations outside these windows, please contact us. We will consider the circumstances and any transfer available. Any amount retained will be limited to reasonable costs or losses we cannot avoid. These arrangements do not limit your statutory rights.
Can I transfer to another date or send a substitute?
Contact us at least 48 hours before the start to transfer once, free of charge, to another published date for the same webinar, subject to availability. You may nominate a substitute attendee at least 24 hours before the start. For a student/access ticket, the substitute must also qualify for that rate or pay the difference to the standard price.
What happens if SAM cancels or changes the date?
If we cancel your webinar, you will receive a full refund. If we change its date, you may choose the replacement date or a full refund.
How do I request a cancellation or transfer?
Use Ask about training to request a cancellation or transfer: https://samapp.bigqualdatalabs.com/support/training?reason=course Include your name, booking reference and course date when contacting us. We aim to respond within five working days. Refunds are made without undue delay and within 14 days, normally to the original payment method. These arrangements do not limit your statutory rights.
Can you provide private online team training?
We offer live online training for research groups and organisations. Sessions can be tailored to your research context, experience and learning goals. Ask about private online team training: https://samapp.bigqualdatalabs.com/support/training?reason=team
Continue your learning
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Dr Sam Martin
Sam is a digital sociologist and the developer of Social Analysis of Meaning (SAM). The platform and courses extend her Big Qual Methods work with Oxford and UCL/RREAL over the years. Her teaching connects analytical tools with research questions, context and researcher judgement.
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