Using software in qualitative research : a step-by-step guide / Ann Lewins and Christina Silver.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lewins, Ann.

Contributor:

Silver, Christina.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Qualitative research--Computer programs.

Qualitative research.

Computer programs.

Physical Description:

xi, 288 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Los Angeles : SAGE, 2007.

Summary:

Making Sense of Software in Qualitative Research combines several aspects of Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDAS), helping the reader choose the most appropriate package for their specific needs and get the most out of the software once they are using it. The text considers tasks and processes, bringing them together to demystify qualitative software and encourage flexible and critical choices and uses of software in supporting analysis. This text can be read as a whole or chapters can be treated on a more stand-alone basis, building on one another to provide a holistic sense of the analytic journey without advocating a particular sequential process. Accessible and comprehensive, Making Sense of Software in Qualitative Research provides a practical but analytically grounded guide to thinking about and using software and will be an essential companion for any qualitative researcher.

Contents:

Rationale and Structure 1

The Young People's Perceptions Project 3

1 Processes and Tasks in Using Qualitative Software 5

Types of software supporting work with qualitative data 6

What types of software do we categorize as CAQDAS? 6

Which is the 'best' CAQDAS package? 8

Basic functionality and aspects of work in CAQDAS: key similarities 8

Structure of work in CAQDAS packages 8

Data types and format 10

'Closeness to data' and interactivity 10

Exploring data 10

Code and retrieve functionality 10

Coding schema 11

Data organization 11

Searching and interrogating the database 11

Writing tools 11

Output 12

Making software work for your project 12

Starting points 12

Familiarization 12

What the software project represents 12

CAQDAS packages as project management tools 13

The right tools for the job 13

Flexibility in the sequencing of tasks 14

The bits in between 14

Teamwork 15

2 Data and Their Preparation for CAQDAS Packages 16

Types of qualitative data 17

Incorporating different types of data into the software project 17

Incorporating different types of data into the Young People's Perceptions Project 19

Textual data preparation considerations 19

General guidelines for transcribing data 20

Transcription formats 20

Using rich text features to indicate important aspects of the data 20

Formatting structured data 21

Recognizable units of context: sentences, paragraphs and sections 21

Speaker and topic identifiers 22

What to avoid when transcribing identifiers 23

Naming and saving data files 23

Software-specific textual data preparations 23

Preparing textual data for ATLAS.ti5 24

Preparing textual data for MAXqda2 26

Preparing textual data for NVivo7 28

Summary: data preparation issues 29

Comparative comments on data and their preparation for CAQDAS packages 30

3 Getting Started in Qualitative Software: Practical Tasks 32

Generic tasks: what can be done before primary data are ready? 32

Task 3.1 Creating and naming the project, data files and reports 33

Task 3.2 Familiarize yourself with the software 34

Task 3.3 Memoing 34

Task 3.4 Code creation 34

Task 3.5 Experimenting with importing/assigning data 35

Task 3.6 Experiment with data 35

Task 3.7 Experiment with mapping tools 35

Task 3.8 Use or throw away 36

Software-specific variations: getting started with software 36

Exercises in ATLAS.ti5 36

Exercises in MAXqda2 44

Exercises in NVivo7 49

Summary: reviewing the process of familiarization 54

Comparative comments on getting started with the software 54

4 Exploration and Text-Level Work 56

Early exploration of text 57

Technological developments and methodological debates 57

Annotation tools: their universal utility 59

Note taking for continuity, neutrality, reflexivity and openness 59

Text search tools: their universal utility 59

The place of content-based searching tools 60

Hyperlinking 60

Generic tasks: exploring data and working at the text level in software 61

Task 4.1 Using cosmetic text marking and functional text marking 61

Task 4.2 Annotating text 62

Task 4.3 Frequency counts, text searching for words or phrases 62

Task 4.4 Hyperlinking between points in the text 63

Software-specific variations: exploring data and working at the text level 64

Exercises in ATLAS.ti5 64

Exercises in MAXqda2 69

Exercises in NVivo7 74

Summary: early exploration of data 78

Comparative comments on exploring data 79

5 Qualitative Coding in Software: Principles and Processes 81

What is qualitative coding? 81

How coding works in qualitative software 82

Approaches to coding 82

Generating and using codes 83

Inductive approaches to coding 84

Deductive approaches to coding 85

Combining approaches: the practice of coding using software 88

Summary: using software to support your approach to coding 89

6 Coding Schemes, Coding Frames 91

Breaking down the data, putting them back together 92

Structures of coding schemes in software 93

Hierarchical systems 93

The functioning of hierarchies in software 93

Non-hierarchical systems 93

What are the benefits and disadvantages of different structures? 94

Factors which influence approaches to the development of coding schemes 95

Is 'coding scheme' the same as 'theoretical framework'? 96

Drilling down, or building up? 96

Seeing beyond the coding scheme: grouping and combining codes 97

Coding scheme predicaments 97

Working top-down, feeling stuck between tramlines? 97

The 'large' coding scheme: moving on, refining? 100

Coding scheme structures in CAQDAS packages: project examples 100

Speller (2000): 'The relocation of Arkwright' 101

Rich et al. (2006): 'Video intervention/prevention assessment (VIA)' 103

Taggart et al. (2004): 'Curriculum progression in the arts' 105

Silver (2002): 'Young People's Perceptions Project' 107

Lewins (2000): 'Older people's needs assessment exercise: focus groups' 110

Gulati (2006): 'Understanding knowledge construction in online courses' 113

Summary: making the most of a coding scheme 115

Comparative comments on coding schemata in CAQDAS packages 115

7 Coding Tasks in Software 117

Generic tasks: generating and applying codes 118

Task 7.1 Generating codes 118

Task 7.2 Applying existing codes to text 118

Task 7.3 Defining and listing codes 118

Task 7.4 Changing your mind about how data are coded 119

Task 7.5 Reorganizing the coding schema 119

Integrating the different aspects of your work 120

Software-specific variations: coding processes in software 120

Exercises in ATLAS.ti5 120

Exercises in MAXqda2 127

Exercises in NVivo7 133

Summary: getting started with coding in software 141

Comparative comments on coding functionality and processes 141

8 Basic Retrieval of Coded Data 143

Purposes and values of basic retrieval 144

Where did I get to last time? 144

Reflexivity and rigour 144

Generic tasks: retrieving coded data 145

Task 8.1 Retrieve all data coded so far 145

Task 8.2 View all codes appearing in one document 145

Task 8.3 Recode data 146

Task 8.4 Overview current coding status 146

Software-specific variations: data retrieval 147

Exercises in ATLAS.ti5 147

Exercises in MAXqda2 151

Exercises in NVivo7 156

Summary: basic ways to retrieve coded data 160

Comparative comments on retrieval functionality and processes 160

9 Managing Processes and Interpretations by Writing 163

The importance of writing in conducting qualitative data analysis 164

Writing as a continuous analytic process 165

Forms and purposes of writing 165

Field notes 165

Research journal(s) 166

Analytic or theoretical memos 166

The potential value of software writing tools 167

Generic tasks for using memos 168

Managing your memo system 169

Creating memos 169

Free-standing centralized memos 169

Naming and dating memos 169

Grouping memos 170

Structuring memos 170

Integrating your writing with the rest of your project 170

Linking memos to documents 171

Linking memos to codes 171

Coding your own writing 171

Search the content of a memo 171

Outputting memos 171

Software-specific memo functionality 172

Memos in ATLAS.ti5 172

Memos in MAXqda2 174

Memos in NVivo7 175

Summary: flexible writing in software 177

Comparative comments on memo functionality 178

10 Mapping Ideas and Linking Concepts 179

Theoretical models 180

Adaptive theory and the modelling process 180

Grounded theory and the mapping process 180

Mapping tools: relevant traditions 180

Mapping software packages 181

Mapping in CAQDAS packages: general purposes 181

Limits of CAQDAS mapping tools 182

Possibilities with CAQDAS mapping tools 183

Cautions 183

Generic tasks: mapping and linking 183

Software-specific mapping tools 185

The networking tool in ATLAS.ti5 185

The

mapping tool in MAXqda2 186

The modeller in NVivo7 190

Summary: mapping functionality 191

Comparative comments on mapping functionality 191

11 Organizing Data to Known Characteristics 194

The importance of organizing qualitative data 195

Features in data which can be organized 195

Organizing qualitative data in CAQDAS packages 196

Document 'families' and 'attributes' 196

Differentiating between organizational features and 'conceptual' codes 196

Working incrementally 197

Organizing whole data files 197

Organizing parts of data files 198

Organizing case studies 199

Software-specific variations: data organization 199

Exercises in ATLAS.ti5 199

Exercises in MAXqda2 200

Exercises in NVivo7 205

Summary: data organization functionality 208

Comparative comments on data organization 208

12 Interrogating the Dataset 209

Moving on 210

Different ways to interrogate the database 210

Filtering and simple forms of retrieval 210

Searching for content 211

Code searches as iterative, incremental and repeatable 211

Qualitative cross-tabulations in the form of tables and matrices 211

Interrogating in maps 212

Changing techniques of qualitative data analysis 212

Cautions 212

Generic tasks: searching 213

Searching for content 213

Code searching 214

Generating tabular data 214

Creating signposts from searches 214

Software-specific searching functions 214

Searching and interrogation tools in ATLAS.ti5 216

Searching and interrogation tools in MAXqda2 219

Searching and interrogation tools in NVivo7 223

Summary: reviewing searching and interrogation functionality 225

Comparative comments on searching and interrogating the dataset 226

13 Convergence, Closeness, Choice 227

Planning for the use of software 227

Convergence of tasks and tools: software as a container for your work 228

Closeness to data: inside software and outside it 223

Working within your comfort zone: focused effective use of software 229

Appendix B Keyboard Shortcuts for ATLAS.ti5, MAXqda2 and NVivo7 238

Appendix C Features and Functions of Seven CAQDAS Packages 241

ATLAS.ti5 241

HyperResearch 2.6 246

MAXqda2 252

QDA Miner 2.0 257

QSR NVivo7 262

Qualrus 267

Transana 2 273

Appendix D Resources and Links 279.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [281]-282) and index.

ISBN:

0761949224

9780761949220

0761949232

9780761949237

OCLC:

76798449