Computer-aided qualitative data analysis: an overview

Abstract

"The last decade saw major advances in computer-assisted coding-and-retrieval methods for non-formatted textual data. These methods are especially helpful in interpretive social research where the researcher has to cope with sometimes huge amounts of unstructured textual data. Presently, qualitative researchers can choose between various coding and retrieval techniques by drawing on a variety of different software packages. The purpose of the paper is to give an overview of computer-aided techniques for the management and analysis of textual data in qualitative research and of the current debate about the methodological impact of these techniques on the research process. The initial sections contain a brief historical overview of the development of computer-aided qualitative data analysis whereby some epistemological aspects of the relationship between qualitative methodology and computer-use will also be discussed. Following that the paper also outlines basic elements of 'computer-aided qualitative data analysis', namely the use of textual database management systems for the automatization of manual indexing and operations. Since the advent of the first coding-and-retrieve programs great hopes have been expressed that such coding techniques could revolutionize qualitative research by making the research process more transparent and by improving the reliability and validity of its results. In the last part of the paper these questions will be discussed thereby focussing on aspects of validity." (author's abstract)