WHAT IS SOFTWARE-ASSISTED QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS? Sanna Herkama (sanna.herkama@utu.fi) Senior Researcher, PhD, University of Turku Anne Laajalahti (anne.laajalahti@jyu.fi) Post-doctoral Researcher, PhD, University of Jyväskylä Methods Festival 19. 20.8.2015 Tampere QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS IN PRACTISE: TRADITIONAL OR COMPUTER ASSISTED ANALYSIS? Should I go for a traditional way of analyzing research material? paper prints and coloring, copy-paste procedures, hanging papers on the wall, post-it tags Should I use Computer Assisted/Aided Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS)? ATLAS.ti, NVivo, Nudist, Ethnograph, AnSWR, HyperRESEARCH, winmax, MAXQDA, Transana, RQDA, CAT (Coding Analysis Toolkit), TAMS Analyser What is... CAQDAS? / Metodifestivaalit 1
WHEN TO USE COMPUTER SOFTWARE TO ASSIST QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS? Consider, for example, the size of the research material. the structure of the research material. the aims of the current study. the research questions, designs, and analysis methods characteristic to your own field of study. your own attitudes towards computer programs in general and readiness to learn new things. availability of the possible software and the support (technical and methodological!) for its usage in your research community. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH CAQDAS (e.g. ATLAS.ti)? Explore various types of research material (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, and video documents) Organize and save research material Mark and analyze data segments (that is coding) Save ideas and thinking process Visualize abstract or theoretical ideas Create relationships Make comparisons Increase transparency and credibility of the research process by proceeding systematically and documenting the process What is... CAQDAS? / Metodifestivaalit 2
WHAT YOU CAN T DO WITH CAQDAS (e.g. ATLAS.ti)? Researcher is searching for meanings, a computer for character strings. Cheers to that small (?) of a difference! (Eskola & Suoranta 2008, 206) Unclear research problem or vague analytical approach is not solved by the assistance of a qualitative data software. (Jolanki & Karhunen 2010, 404) Researcher is still the key to successful analysis, not the computer software! CODING WHAT IS IT? Classifying, categorizing, creating nodes, coding Finding, marking, and labeling of the essential data segments from the perspective of the research task / problem Questions to be considered Whether to let the codes to emerge during the analysis process or use ready-made lists of codes? To which extend should one try to identify presumptions and to stay tuned for new openings? Inductive, abductive, or deductive way of thinking and working? From large scale to smaller one or the other way around? What is... CAQDAS? / Metodifestivaalit 3
FROM CODING TO INTERPRETATION! Coding is already part of the analysis! Codes demand interpretation! LITERATURE REVIEW WORK IN PROGRESS Systematic literature review (Jesson, Matheson, & Lacey, 2011) Emphasis on, for example: the general role of utilizing QDA software the methodological traditions mentioned the main benefits and limitations of the usage of QDA software What is... CAQDAS? / Metodifestivaalit 4
USING CAQDAS (e.g. ATLAS.ti) BENEFITS The administration and organization of qualitative research material eases. Several types of research materials can be analyzed at the same time or only one part of the research material can be chosen for the analysis. The actual analysis that is coding is fairly simple to perform. Quotations can be easily searched and copy-pasted to a final research report. Abstract ideas and connections between concepts can be visualized. Remarks, thoughts, and comments can be saved and archived. The amount of potential mistakes decreases. The consistency and transparency of the analysis process increase. Might deepen the researcher reflexivity (Woods, Macklin, & Lewis 2015). At best CAQDAS (e.g. ATLAS.ti) can be a device for thinking! USING CAQDAS (e.g. ATLAS.ti) CHALLENGES Qualitative analysis is (at times) handcraft and it will be so even if software is being used! The program is not doing the analysis for you but instead it assists you doing the analysis! The usage of CAQDAS does not equal to quality nor to credibility. Be aware of the basic logics the software is being based on! You might not need all the options available. The codes created do not equal to insightful qualitative analysis! Do I see the forest for the trees? Do not let yourself get lost! ( Mess of codes, Code jungle, Drowning in codes ) You may still need to think over again! Interpret! Beginning might be hard! Do not stop too early! Do not give up! Do not hesitate to try out! Be creative! What is... CAQDAS? / Metodifestivaalit 5
AND FROM WHERE COULD I GET IT? Availability may differ between universities. Free demo version available (ATLAS.ti 7) http://www.atlasti.com/demo.html ATLAS.ti 4 (old in many ways) ATLAS.ti 5 and 6 (working still quite well) ATLAS.ti 7 (in use, for example, at the University of Jyväskylä and University of Tampere) ATLAS.ti 8 (will be released later in 2015) Note: Support for the older Version 6 ends with the release of ATLAS.ti 8. Upgrade to ATLAS.ti 7 now and get v.8 free of charge later this year. Used to be only for Windows; now also for Mac and Mobile for the ipad and Android SOME TIPS: RELATED WEBSITES, GUIDES, AND LEARNING MATERIALS ATLAS.ti official website: http://www.atlasti.com The program s internal guide in PDF format etc.: See: Help > ATLAS.ti Help and Help > More Resources > Open Manual / Contact Support Official Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/atlas.ti?fref=ts Pitkänen, S. H. 2010. ATLAS.ti-ohjeet. Itä-Suomen yliopisto. https://wiki.uef.fi/pages/viewpage.action?pageid=1867803 What is... CAQDAS? / Metodifestivaalit 6
FURTHER READINGS, e.g. Bringer, J. D., Johnston, H. L., & Brackenbrick, C. H. (2009). Using computerassisted qualitative data analysis software to develop a grounded theory project. Field Methods 18, 245 266. Friese, S. (2011). Using ATLAS.ti for analyzing the financial crisis data. Qualitative Social Research 12 (1), Art. 39. Friese, S. (2012). Qualitative data analysis with ATLAS.ti. London: Sage. (For v.6) Friese, S. (2014). Qualitative data analysis with ATLAS.ti. 2nd ed. London: Sage. (For v.7) Kelle, U. (2007). Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis. In C. Seale, G. Gobo, J. F. Gubrium, & D. Silverman (Eds.), Qualitative research practice: Concise paperback edition. London: Sage, 443 459. Konopásek, Z. (2008). Making thinking visible with ATLAS.ti: Computer assisted qualitative analysis as textual practices. Qualitative Social Research 9 (2), Art. 12. Rantala, I. (2010). Laadullisen aineiston analyysi tietokoneella. In J. Aaltola & R. Valli (Eds.), Ikkunoita tutkimusmetodeihin II. 3rd ed. Jyväskylä: PS-kustannus, 106 126. Seale, C. 2010. Using computers to analyse qualitative data. In D. Silverman, Doing qualitative research: A practical handbook. 3rd ed. London: Sage, 251 267. REFERENCES Eskola, J., & Suoranta, J. (2008). Johdatus laadulliseen tutkimukseen. 8th ed. Tampere: Vastapaino. Jesson, J. K., Matheson, L., & Lacey, F. M. (2011). Doing your literature review: Traditional and systematic techniques. London: Sage. Jolanki, O., & Karhunen, S. (2010). Renki vai isäntä? Analyysiohjelmat laadullisessa tutkimuksessa. In J. Ruusuvuori, P. Nikander, & M. Hyvärinen (Eds.), Haastattelun analyysi. Tampere: Vastapaino, 395 410. Woods, M., Macklin, R., & Lewis, G. K. (2015). Researcher reflexivity: Exploring the impacts of CAQDAS use. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. doi:10.1080/13645579.2015.1023964 What is... CAQDAS? / Metodifestivaalit 7