Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis What is CAQDAS? Stands for: Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Examples of software: Atlas-ti Winmax NVivo NUDIST Developed in late 1980s. Why would we wish to use these programmes? Why not do it all by hand? Because of the nature of qualitative data

Nature of qualitative data largely unstructured mostly text-based: transcribed interviews transcribed discussions field notes other written documents (e.g. observations and records of meetings etc.) If you imagine you have conducted 30 interviews - each 1 hour long (some 60 pages). = 2000pages of text. Sorting and classifying becomes an unwieldy task Tell you about some of the basic principles underlying qualitative research Go and read the theory yourself. See reading list.

Tasks involved Defining concepts Mapping the range, nature and dynamics of phenomena Creating typologies Finding associations Seeking explanations Developing new ideas, theories or strategies [Ritchie and Spencer (1994)] Hand out (Ritchie and Spencer page 176) For applied policy research: Defining concepts: understanding internal structures Mapping the range, nature and dynamics of phenomena Creating typologies : categorizing different types of attitudes, behaviours, motivations Finding associations: between experiences and attitudes, between attitudes and behaviours, between circumstances and motivations Seeking explanations: explicit or implicit Developing new ideas, theories or strategies

Coding Recording your judgement about how chunks of your document are related to an idea, theme, or category Various types: creative: tentative ideas or thinking aloud descriptive: storing and sorting data citation: to identify illustrative quotes

How can CAQDAS help? Helps you to: manage data (especially large quantities) classify your data stay close to your data interrogate the data Visually display

What does the acronym ATLAS.ti stand for? “Archiv fuer Technik, Lebenswelt und Alltagssprache“ Translated: archive for "technology, the life world and everyday language“ The extension "ti" (pronounced TEE EYE) stands for “text interpretation” Project ATLAS (1989-1992) of Technical University of Berlin Is the "birthplace" of a first prototype of the software