Choosing qualitative data analysis software

This chapter section by Eben A. Weitzman guides readers through some of the important considerations when choosing appropriate qualitative analysis software.

Part of a larger chapter on qualitative analysis, which covers a range of topics from the conducting of rigorous qualitative research to the drawing and verifying of conclusions, the information is presented with easy-to-follow steps and exercises.

Excerpt

"Specifically, there are four key questions to ask and answer as you move toward choosing one or more software packages:

  1. What kind of computer user am I?
  2. Am I choosing for one project or the next few years?
  3. What kind of project(s) and database(s) will I be working on?
  4. What kind of analyses am I planning to do?

In addition to these four key questions, there are two cut-across issues to bear in mind:

  • How important is it to you to maintain a sense of “closeness” to your data?
  • What are your financial constraints when buying software, and the hardware it needs to run on?" (Weitzman, n.d.)

Sources

Weitzman, Eben A. (n.d.). 'Software and Qualitative Analysis' in Behavioural and Social Science Research. E-Source. Retrieved from http://www.esourceresearch.org/eSourceBook/SoftwareandQualitativeAnalysis/10ChoosingQDASoftware/tabid/566/Default.aspx