Overview of Software Applications for the analysis of qualitative data

1
Overview of Software Applications for the
analysis of qualitative data

• Ken AndertonOpinion Research Corporation
  International

2
ORC Areas of Interest

• Large volumes of multilingual Verbatim Comments
  to be reported categorized and in full
• CATI verbatims
• Structured Qualitative Interviews
• Focus Groups

3
Generic Model

• Investigated many packages and Papers
• Discussed with Qualitative Researchers
• If I were building a CAQDAS ..........

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Source Information Management
Source Document
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The Source Document
Not only textIndex/ Summary Recording Maps Pictu
res Actual Source Recording Maps Pictures
Source Document
6
Links to Source Document
Structured Data about Collection
Multi Media Source
Source Document
Quantitative Data
Other Source Document
Memos
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Advantages of Managing Documents

• Tidier
• Manageable especially on large projects
• Little extra effort
• Retrieving Specific Interviews
• Access to Multimedia Source
• Archive and Historical and Continuous
• Quality Control
• Single Source
• Comments and Annotations

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Source Information Management
Direct Entry
Source Document
Import
Scan or auto transcribe
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Data Load Issues

• Standard Software and Import
• Familiarity
• Availability
• Features
• Direct Entry
• Version Control inside document
• Coding during transcription
• Adding memos and notes
• Structuring Text
• Style Consistency
• Learn styles that work best

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Next Step

• Search and Index Words within Documents
• Useful if documents are short (eg Open Questions)
• Large Number of documents and need index to
  documentsor
• Segments within document
• Grammatical Segments
• Phrase, Sentence, Paragraph
• Manually Segment codable chunks of text
• Allow Overlapping
• Multiple Codes

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Segment Identification and Coding

• Print, Markup and Code
• Familiar Medium
• Do it on the train
• Whole interview context easier
• Scan through whole document more easily

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Segment Identification and Coding

• On Screen Direct Entry
• Single Pass
• List other similarly coded segments
• On line use of codes, code memos and amending
  code list
• Complex hierarchical codes
• Include Memos
• Coding Stats
• Highlight non coded areas

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More automated coding

• Identify common words and phrases
• Build up coding frame
• Larger Data Sources

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Sophisticated Text Searches

• Use documents inherent structure
• Sequence in Search
• Thesaurus
• Grammar to identify root / meaning of word
• Numeric ranges form numbers in text
• Days of Week and other sequences

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Hyperlinks

• Help files and Web Pages
• Word or Phrase links to
• Hidden pop up detail
• Another document
• Biography
• Elsewhere in Document
• Good system would include
• Easy to build links
• Ability to route backwards
• Generate overall site map
• Sequential Document

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Quality Control

• Accessibility and Visibility of Information
  should encourage QA
• Identify and Review Sample
• Audit Trails
• Training
• Client Review
• Identify sparse coding areas
• Identify where coding needs to be more specific

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We havent done any analysis !

• May be less than none CAQDAS approach
• Paper process leads to more immersion in the
  information ?
• May have delegated processes to now
• Process may have obscured content
• Strong position to move forward
• Strong Information Base
• Many tools for analysis

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Intelligent Retrieval

• Simple document retrievals
• All Segments relating to Subject
• Links to data
• Look up memos and annotations
• Original Multimedia Source
• Absorb and review efficiently
• Record analysis trail into system

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Coding Analysis

• Export to SPSS etc

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Special Searches

• Codes and Linked Segments
• Codes in Context

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Building Theories
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Some Packages

• QSR NUDIST
• The Ethnograph
• Atlas.ti
• Metamorph
• Kwalitan
• AQUAD Five

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Techie Considerations

• Network
• Base Database/ Software
• Import Export
• Performance
• Hardware and Operating requirements
• Ease of Use
• User Community

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QSR NUDIST

• Comprehensive Document management
• Excel/ SPSS Links
• Loops Search requests and results available for
  future reference
• Tree Index to code and record ideas
• Sophisticated User Interface

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The Ethnograph

• Code and Retrieve
• Efficient Coding System
• Sophisticated Searches
• Segment and Code links
• Import from ASCII
• Encourages paper based coding

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Atlas.ti

• Code and Retrieve
• Theory Builders
• Graphic (Icon) Based links and interface
• Less rigid Tree Indexing
• Hypertext Links supported

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Metamorph

• Text search and retrieve
• Linear Search of Documents
• Uses inbuilt document structure
• Uses Thesaurus and Intersections to build searches

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Kwalitan

• Code and Retrieve
• Code Matrices for Analysis
• Overlapping and Nested Segments
• Boolean Searches of Codes/ Segments

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AQUAD Five

• Code and Retrieve
• Theory Builders
• Quantitative Variables can be added
• Causation Explored using Quine-McClusky
  Configuration

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Verbatim Comments

• Comparatively Simple Requirement
• Because of Volumes Efficiency is Key
• Data Entry Quality Key
• Guess and Review more efficient than linear
  coding
• Flexibility and Configuration
• Output quality high
• Link to base dataset required
• Rebuild about standard tools

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Issues/ Conclusions

• Qualitative v Computers
• Process takes over from understanding
• Forces standard approach
• Less absorbing
• Complexity of Software Selection
• Skill Base
• Difficult to Quantify Benefits
• Opens Qualitative Research to Review
• Reduces Clerical Work