The analysis of interview data will look different for each researcher and project, but can broadly be understood as the organization of data into categories (which will require time spent creating, grouping, revising, expanding, and narrowing categories) and the examination of these categories and their relationships. Ultimately, you are trying to gain an understanding of your research question that is firmly grounded in the data.
The analysis of interview data, a type of qualitative data, differs substantially from the analysis of quantitative data. Often, analyzing interview data can be more challenging and time-consuming than analyzing quantitative data. Remember that the analysis process is iterative, and you should be engaging in some type of analysis throughout all steps of your research. Thinking analytically during data collection and keeping your data organized will set you up for success when you begin in-depth analysis.
