Assignment: Software Tools for Qualitative Research

Software Tools for Qualitative Research

In RSCH 8301, you used NVivo software to assist with organizing and coding data you collected. However, you may be wondering if that is the only software package available to qualitative researchers and whether you even need to use a software package for your Dissertation.

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Consider the Discussion topic for this week on organizing and tracking data as well as the Dissertation Rubric criteria on these topics.

To prepare for this Application:

· Review this week’s required readings about computer programs available for qualitative research.

· Investigate software packages other than NVivo that are available to qualitative researchers.

· Select at least two software packages and compare them to NVivo.

· Do you believe you will need to use a software package for your dissertation? If so, would any of the three software tools you investigated for this assignment be appropriate? Why?

The assignment:

· Craft a 3- to 4-page paper in which you do the following:

o Compare and contrast software tools for managing and analyzing qualitative data.

o Conclude by stating whether you believe you will need to use a software package for your dissertation and, if so, whether any of the three software tools analyzed in this assignment would be appropriate.

Required Resources

· Course Text: Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook

o Chapter 2, “Research and Design Management,” pp. 45–52

o Chapter 6, “Methods of Exploring,” pp. 124-128

o Appendix, “An Annotated Bibliography of Qualitative Research Resources”In Chapter 2, read the sections on “Management Issues Bearing on Analysis,” “Computer Use,” “Data Management,” and “Staffing and Time Planning.” In the excerpt from Chapter 6, you will learn about the early steps in data analysis, including the completion of a contact summary sheet, with an example provided. The Appendix gives information about the types of computer programs you might use for qualitative data analysis.

· Course Text: Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches

o Review from last week: Chapter 7, “Data Collection”

o Chapter 8, “Data Analysis and Representation,” pp. 164–173Chapter 7 explores the key concepts of the data collection process, including the data collection circle, access and rapport, sampling strategy, forms of data, recording procedures, field issues, and storing data. This reading is a review from Week 6. The excerpt from Chapter 8 provides a comparison of the five approaches and describes computer use in qualitative data analysis.

Research Toolkit

· Handouts

o Walden Dissertation Rubric
Available from http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/
The Dissertation Rubric is a Word document linked in the section for PhD Dissertation Process and Documents.

o Walden Qualitative DissertationsThis document directs you to dissertations in the Walden Library that use a variety of qualitative approaches and disciplines.

Optional Resources