Computer Programs for Qualitative Data Analysis

A Software Sourcebook

Written by qualitative researchers for qualitative researchers, and not presuming extensive computer experience, this user-friendly guide takes a critical look at the wide range of software currently available. The book gives detailed reviews of 24 programs in five major categories: text retrievers, textbase managers, code-and-retrieve programs, code-based theory-builders and conceptual network-builders. In addition, the book provides ratings of over 75 features per program. The authors also offer detailed guidance on the operation of each program, helping the reader to ask key questions about the use of the computer - the nature of the project being undertaken, what time-line analyses are planned and what worksheets are re

“Which computer program should I use to analyze my qualitative data?” This
book was written to help answer that question. To begin with, we should
comment on the question itself. First and foremost, there is no computer program
that will “analyze” your data. We could borrow a bromide here: “Computers don't
analyze data, people do.” Like its parent statement about guns, this is a half-truth.
Guns do make it very easy for people to kill people. And computers make it much
easier for ...