Which of the following computer programs can be used to help researchers in qualitative data management?

Getting Started

Computer Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS software (CAQDAS) has been around for quite a while, and has assisted researchers in analyzing primarily text-based documents and storing that analysis in a findable and interactive manner. CAQDAS can help researchers to "code," or identify the occurrence of, various conceptual themes present across a corpus of documents in order to bring them together and pull insight from them. Social Psychologists may use a CAQDAS platform to code the responses to interviews, both in text as well as audio, or graduate students may use it to read and keep track of their thoughts for a literature review. The uses are wide and the data management capabilities are many. This guide is meant to expose you to the various options out there and help you to make an informed decision when embarking on a research project that will incorporate a CAQDAS program. Check out a review of some of these platforms here and be sure to read up and make your own comparisons of the various software's websites.

Which of the following computer programs can be used to help researchers in qualitative data management?

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Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software

Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) is a term that refers to a category of computer programs that have been developed specifically to aid researchers in completing a range of tasks associated with analysis and interpretation of qualitative data. This entry outlines core functions frequently found in CAQDAS programs, describes benefits of using CAQDAS, and identifies important issues researchers should consider before working with a CAQDAS program.

Functions of CAQDAS

There are a variety of CAQDAS programs that can be used to analyze qualitative data, including text (e.g., interview transcripts, blogs), images (e.g., magazine or billboard ads, political cartoons), audio (e.g., speeches, music), and video (e.g., interpersonal interactions, television news stories). Popular programs used by communication researchers include ATLAS.ti, MAXQDA, ...

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Currently, Research Computing Services has a small number of licenses for Atlas.ti v9 Cloud.  If you are interested in using Atlas.ti for your qualitative data analysis, please contact Janet Keener at . Data stored in the Atlas cloud CANNOT contain any PHI/HIPAA data! If you are saving any of your files to the Atlas cloud, they must be appropriately de-identified first.  This should only be considered a temporary storage location for research data.  Longer-term storage should use one of the university-approved locations.  As always, please contact RCS if you need assistance. 

NOTE: Atlas.ti licenses are ONLY available to ETSU employees and students!

How Atls.ti may be useful for narrative analysis: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1468794121999008

Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) tools are applications intended to assist with qualitative research. CAQDAS tools are used to help analyze and gain insights into data prior to interpretation. CAQDAS tools help researchers systematically sort, organize, structure, and otherwise manage data; create transcripts, create memos, assign codes, assemble codes into categories or themes, generate word frequency searches, and create mind maps.

SAGE Research Methods, an online repository of user guides for researchers, is a service provided through the Sherrod Library. You will find a broad spectrum of very practical guides when searching for "qualitative data" or "qualitative research." If you are new to qualitative research, start with the video link below.

  • An Introduction to Qualitative Data Analysis from SAGE ResearchMethods

Below are Open Source and Free Qualitative Data Analysis Applications:

AQUAD: Originally developed by Günter Huber at the University of Tübingen for analysis of textual, audio, video, and image data, a detailed listing of features can be found at AQUAD Features.

QDA Miner Lite: This is the free version of QDA Miner developed by Provalis Research. To compare features and download QDA Miner Lite, visit Provalis QDA Miner.

Qigga: QDA and reference manager software originally developed at Cambridge University and now continued as open source on GitHub. You can read about features on the Cambridge site but you'll need to download it from GitHub. Not for the technically faint-hearted.

Qualcoder: Developed by Colin Curtain of Australia as a fallout of his PhD work using RQDA. If you like RQDA, this may boost your research to include audio and video.

RQDA & QCoder: If you are a fan of R or R Studio, you will enjoy coding data with RQDA. (ranked #5 in the table below)

Taguette: The Taguette team, led by Rémi Rampin, developed Taguette to "bolster fair and equitable entry" into qualitative data analysis. Check out the features for text analysis. 

Below are Qualitative Data Analysis Tools Showing Cumulative Score (Editor plus Aggregate User Scores) from Predictive Analytics Today:

Application

Score

Price

Atlas.ti 17.2 Free for 5 concurrent users via RCS
Quirkos 17.2 $340
NVIVO 16.7 $640-$1,847
MaxQDA 16.6 $520-$750
RQDA 16.5 FREE
CAT (Coding Analysis Toolkit) 16.3 FREE
Libre QDA 16.2 FREE
fs/QDA 16.2 FREE
Weft QDA 16.1 FREE
GATE (General Architecture for Text Engineering) 16.1 FREE

What type of computer software is best used for qualitative research?

Best Qualitative Data Analysis Software.
HubSpot..
MAXQDA..
Quirkos..
Qualtrics..
Raven's Eye..

What tools would a researcher use for qualitative research?

However, the three most commonly used qualitative research methods are in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) and observation.

What are the 3 research tools in collecting qualitative data?

There are a variety of methods of data collection in qualitative research, including observations, textual or visual analysis (eg from books or videos) and interviews (individual or group). However, the most common methods used, particularly in healthcare research, are interviews and focus groups.

What are the 4 data collection tools of qualitative data?

Qualitative data-collection methods.
One-on-one interviews. Interviews are one of the most common qualitative data-collection methods, and they're a great approach when you need to gather highly personalized information. ... .
Open-ended surveys and questionnaires. ... .
Focus groups. ... .
Observation. ... .
Case studies..