Using Software in Qualitative Research

Christina Silver, Ph.D. SFHEA, FAcSS is Associate Professor (Teaching) in the Faculty of Social Sciences (Sociology) at the University of Surrey, UK, and since 2023 Director of the CAQDAS Networking Project (CNP). She joined the CNP in 1998, which from 1994 has provided impartial information, advice and training in software designed for qualitative data analysis. Christina also co-founded, with Ann Lewins,  Qualitative Data Analysis Services (QDAS), which provides customised analytic consultancy for teams and individuals. Christina’s interests are in the relationship between technology and methodology, and the teaching of computer-assisted qualitative analysis. She has published widely on these topics, including co-developing the CAQDAS pedagogy: Five-Level QDA with Nicholas Woolf. She is experienced in using a range of digital tools to enact methods across academic disciplines, and in applied, government and commercial contexts. Christina’s recent work has focused on enabling researchers to navigate the terrain of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in qualitative research encouraging balanced and critical perspectives about its potential role. This includes when the use of AI, particularly generative forms, is not appropriate, and when it might be. Christina is widely seen as a leading voice on methodologically-informed use of CAQDAS-packages and balanced and critical engagement with the implications of Generative-AI on qualitative research.For much of her working life Ann Lewins was not an academic. She held a commission in the Royal Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller and later ran a growing sports business with her husband until his death in 1988.  In 1992, at the age of 45, having just gained a first class honours  degree in Modern History & Politics, she started postgraduate study. Two years later she was appointed to a sole, part-time Research post at the University of Surrey with the newly formed CAQDAS   Networking Project (Computer Assisted Qualitative AnalysiS). The project, conceived by Nigel Fielding and Ray Lee was born out of a ground-breaking international Research Methods conference convened at Surrey in 1989, a key moment in the coalescing of a new awareness of a small range of early qualitative data analysis software programs. Ann set up online support resources and began hosting a vigorous program of seminars and training workshops to help researchers know the different software programs available and  to teach their use. By 2000, Ann, together with Christina Silver had ensured that the CAQDAS Networking Project was reaching thousands of researchers who visited Surrey for support. Their specialist joint initiative, QDAS (Qualitative Data Analysis Services), was created  to widen customised teaching and project support on-site at many other universities and research institutions worldwide.

This book is essential reading for anyone navigating the complex and exciting terrain of qualitative data analysis software.  Silver and Lewins emphasize the importance of data preparation; being familiar with one’s software program before starting analysis; and being reflective, methodologically purposeful, and fluid in how one uses the available features of a given program.

• IntroductionQualitative Data Analysis and CAQDASThe Nature of Software Support for Research ProjectsSoftware SummariesData and Their Preparation for CAQDAS PackagesEarly Steps in Software: Practical Tasks and FamiliarisationExploration and Data-level WorkQualitative Coding in Software: Principles and ProcessesBasic Retrieval of Coded DataWorking with Coding SchemesManaging Processes and Interpretations by WritingMapping Ideas and Linking ConceptsOrganising Data by Known CharacteristicsInterrogating the DatasetConvergence, Closeness, Choice