ATLAS.ti: The Qualitative Data Analysis Workbench

Transcription

1 ATLAS.ti: The Qualitative Data Analysis Workbench An overview November 22, 2012 Ricardo B. Contreras, PhD Applied cultural anthropologist Director of the ATLAS.ti Training Center Greenville, North Carolina, United States

2 The Company Based in Berlin, Germany. First commercial release in Currently in release 7 (June 2012).

3 Learning Resources To learn ATLAS.ti on your own ( Quick tour Chapters of the manual (at the very least): Data management Creating, opening, and saving Setting up a new project Project back-up and transfer To learn ATLAS.ti under the guidance of an experienced instructor (/training.html): Online 6-hour workshops through web-conferencing Face-to-face 2-day workshops On-site 2-day workshops (on-demand) Additional guidance Book by Susanne Friese Qualitative Analysis with ATLAS.ti. London: Sage, Companion website of the book: Multiple videos in Youtube.

4 What is ATLAS.ti? Software that assists in the process of qualitatively analyzing research data. Data collected through unstructured or semi-structured methods of data collection. The researcher is in control of the analysis process.

5 Ultimate Purpose of Using ATLAS.ti in Analysis Closing the gap between the original text and the interpretative text Original Text, Participants Voices Description Analysis Interpretation Final Text, Interpretative Text Note: This figure was inspired by the following book: Wolcott, Harry F Transforming Qualitative Data: Description, Analysis, and Interpretation. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

6 The Deductive-Inductive Dialogue in ATLAS.ti Deductive External Framework Inductive Generalizations Data Data You are not forced into a deductive or an inductive approach. The decision as to what approach to take is a methodological one. However, commonly people combine both: start with a set of a priori concepts (codes), as a general framework, but leave enough space for discovery in the form of emergent concepts (codes). Inductive Deductive

7 Hermeneutic Unit Integrated context for data description, analysis, and interpretation. Container that holds the sources of information and all of the analytical work done around them. File of extenstion hpr6/7. Every research project requires a single hermeneutic unit holding all of the sources of information to be analyzed.

8 The Objects of the Hermeneutic Unit PDs Networks Quotes These are the basic elements of an analysis project with ATLAS.ti. Generally speaking, the many other functions and tools available to researcher revolve around these six objects. Families Memos Codes

9 Primary Documents: Sources of Information Text Graphic Multimedia Google Earth Word JPEG MPEG-2, MPG RTF PNG WMV The multiple file formats accepted allows for rich triangulation. PDF Excel GIF Etc. AVI MP4 PDs TXT WAV Networks Quotes Etc. Etc. Families Codes Memos

10 Primary Documents: Loading Multiple Primary Documents Simultaneously Loading up to four documents simultaneously. Allows to conduct rich comparative analysis (e.g., coding two or more interviews conducted at different points in time). Allows for rich transcription of audio or video documents. PDs Networks Quotes Families Codes Memos

11 Primary Documents: Multimedia and Google Earth Video frame showing quotations and codes on the margin Audio primary document showing quotations and codes on the margin Graphic primary document showing quotations and codes on the margin PDs Networks Quotes Google Earth primary document showing quotation named My house Families Codes Memos

12 Quotations Segments of the text selected by researcher or automatically (auto-coding). Quotations can be created in all kinds of primary documents. The quotation constitutes the basic unit of the analysis project. They can be linked to other objects, they can be left unlinked, they can be described indepth, and their linkages can be visualized as rich graphic representations. Quotation always shown in context Codes linked to quotation shown on margin Interactive list of quotations shown in the Quotation Manager, each one identified by unique ID PDs Networks Quotes Comment space where the quotation can be described. Families Codes Memos

13 Codes Concepts that can either derive from external frameworks (deductively created) or emerge from the text (inductively created). Codes can be linked to quotations, memos, arranged in families, and represented in networks. They can also be left alone, unlinked. Codes shown in the Code Manager specifying how grounded in the evidence they are, how connected they are to other codes (density), their authors, and their definitions. PDs Codes shown on an optional side panel Codes that are linked to quotations shown on the margin Networks Families Memos Quotes Codes

14 Memos Spaces for reflection, analysis, integration, and interpretation. Spaces where to make sense of the data. Writing memos should accompany the process of coding. Memos can be linked to quotations, codes, and other memos. If memos are systematically linked to supporting quotations, it follows that the reflections, analyses, and interpretations contained in them are grounded in evidence. Memo that is linked to quotation is shown on the margin Memos shown in Memo Manager. This shows how grounded the memo is in the evidence (number of quotations linked to it) PDs Networks Quotes The memo text Families Codes Memos

15 Families Grouping of primary documents, codes, and memos according to shared characteristics. Families allow for comparison across cases, conceptual categories, themes, etc. Network view of primary document family Network view of code family PDs Network view of memo family Networks Families Quotes Codes Memos

16 Networks Weak link network showing quotations linked to codes as well as the primary document from which some of the quotations originate Code-to-code network showing semantic relations between codes Weak-link Network Linkages between elements created through the normal analytical process. Quotation-to-quotation network (hyperlinks) showing semantic relations between quotations PDs Strong-link Network Graphical representations of a semantic type linking codes to codes and quotations to quotations through specific meanings. Researcher s understanding of the problem. Networks Families Memos Quotes Codes

17 Outputs Qualitative Quantitative The Query Tool, which produces qualitative outputs through Boolean, Semantic, and Proximity operators The co-occurrence table showing number of co-occurrences between codes Rich Text Format written report produced through the Query Tool Excel graph with data from the Cooccurrence table. All quantitative reports can be exported into Excel

18 Exporting in Different Formats XML, HTML, SPSS, EXCEL, RTF, PDF, PNG, etc.

19 Team Work Mary Mary + Peter Base Peter Susan Susan + Paul Final Paul

20 Project Management: The Copy Bundle Function If working with documents that have been added (version 7) or assigned (version 6.2) into the project, it is necessary to create back-up files using the Copy Bundle function. Save the Copy Bundle file in an external drive. Use the Copy Bundle function to back-up and to migrate the project between computers. A. Create Bundle B. Save Bundle

21 Document Management in Version 6.2 Create a new folder in a location of your preference in Windows (e.g., desktop, My Documents, shared drive, server). Name it with the name of your project. Copy all your source document files into this folder. Save the (extension hpr6 ) inside of the same folder. Project A Project B.doc.docx.pdf.rtf.jpg.wmv, etc..doc.docx.pdf.rtf.jpg.wmv, etc..doc.docx.pdf.rtf.jpg.wmv, etc. The file (extension hpr ) saved inside of the project folder together with the source documents. The file (extension hpr ) saved inside of the project folder but not inside of the individual sub-folders where the source documents are stored.

22 Thank you! ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH Hardenbergstr. 7 D Berlin Germany trainingcenter@atlasti.com