As I read more papers - which provide enticing references to yet more papers - I wonder about keeping track of the bigger picture and indexing what I am seeing. So far I have used the mind mapping software MindManager, together with EndNote for referencing. Very good tools, but not enough to hold my thinking together.
In thinking about how best to process the qualitative data that I will collect in the future, I've been wondering about using a CAQDAS package such as Atlas.ti or NVivo (possibly the former as it is used by my university). I understand that any package requires a certain amount of investment to simply set it up and I would still need to define my coding scheme (after all it cannot do everything!). But the more I look into them, the more attractive they look: I see that these packages can be used to manage one's portfolio of sources (docs, pdf, images, video) and for building up a literature review and citation index.
So is the investment in such a tool worth it (I mean in terms of effort as, for example, Atlas.ti offer a competitive price for students) and will it really help me? Do other PhD students have experience of using these tools to support their research?
Would love to hear comments from users, good or bad.
Hi Brian. I don't have any experience with using software tools for qualitative analysis, but am involved in a project looking at the use of a social network to develop reflective practice in a physiotherapy department in South Africa. I'll be doing the analysis either late this year, or early next year.
ReplyDeleteI've love to hear about your experiences with whatever package you go for in the end.
Good luck :)
Hi there, decided to go for Atlas.ti but not used it in earnest yet. Will describe my experiences when they happen :)
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