Introducing Situational Analysis

In this chapter, we first introduce Situational Analysis (hereafter SA) 1 as a method used in the analysis of qualitative data in interpretive projects. Next, we offer a brief overview of its theoretical and methodological foundations, and then we turn to a description of the four main kinds of Situational Analysis maps involved in doing an SA research project: situational, relational, social worlds/arenas, and positional maps. Additional sections take up the issues, what is the situation in situational analysis, the definition and use of abduction in SA, and some distinctive affordances of SA as a method.