Hallo Anji
AS you are a self confessed beginner and underconfident if things go wrong -
I'd always suggest you stay where the support is - and if you will get
support from the other users at work, who are using Atlas then I'd say stay
with Atlas. I think I'd say that whatever 2 softwares you'd asked me to
comment on, just because you can make whatever software is already in house,
useful; in your case, help on hand is worth all the toys you can get from
further afield. But try them both by all means and really discover for
yourself if the tools in NVivo are ones you cannot do without.
Both these software programs are sophisticated and nice to use (while things
are going Ok!). Of the two, the current UPGRADED version of Atlas is rather
more stable - only because its had time to sort out a few problems. They
both offer rather different ways of working, and I'd suggest you *get hold
of the demo versions of each to get an idea of the differences. *+44 (0)1207
3301222
I'd say the main reason NVivo is seen as quite different from Atlas is that
you have complete freedom to edit the data in NVivo, all the way thro the
analysis stages- whereas, currently - you cannot muck about with your data
files (transcripts etc) once you have 'coded' them in Atlas. The Rich text
format you work with in NVivo offers a way of staying for instance with a
visual thread you can physically mark in the data - e.g. by colour coding
bits of text throughout a file - or underlining, embolding etc embed
commentary IN the data file, as well as all the normal coding support
offered by the database structure of the software. But the edit facility
has a few technical glitches if you do the wrong thing at the wrong time -
although it provides a very intuitive way of working at a visual level with
the data. To some extent early problems with a software are user problems -
not knowing what you are allowed to do and what not. However some of the
problems are software problems; - Atlas had quite a few when it first came
out and likewise, Nvivo has a few too. Most complex softwares take a year to
get bedded in and straightened out! (NUD*IST and WINMAX were the exceptions
here - each recent version of these was pretty much OK from release)
The developer support from QSR is fantastic - so if you do hit problems you
can get specific help for a problem, but sometimes this is difficult to
apply to your own system, especially if you are not confident and the help
is coming from a distance.
Your peers will have gone thro this process already with Atlas, and can help
you at a more personal level possibly.
Atlas, although it does not have the free editing facility of NVivo - has
other tools which Nvivo hasn't got; the level of interactivity between its
different analytic tools and 'objects', e.g codes, quotations, hyperlinks,
network maps, is second to none. I'd also say its aim always is to keep you
close to the source context via these instant hyperlinkages - you are never
far from the whole file - most other software packages tend to make that
distance a little greater.
Atlas also is not without its problems - especially while you are learning
it - but they tend to be caused by lack of familiarity rather than
technicalities....
On the whole though it is very user friendly- especially in the early stages
of its use.
regards
Ann Lewins
CAQDAS Networking Project
also at
[log in to unmask]
+44 (0) 1 483 25 9455
m: 0966 541 518
----- Original Message -----
From: Anji <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2000 11:44 PM
Subject: My first query: Atlas vs NVivo..any views?
> Here goes my first experience of asking for opinion over mailbase....
>
> I am new to the world of qualitative research and I am trying to get some
> information together about which software package might be most useful to
> me in the future for analysis. At the moment I have had suggestions along
> the lines of Atlas (most commonly used in our department) and NVivo (as
> likely to be the package more people will be using in the future).
>
> As I am at the very beginning of a project, and do not have much
experience
> of the field yet, I am very open-minded as to what I end up using. I am
not
> a complete beginner on computers (have used word processing packages and
> quantitative packages) but I am not very good at tinkering with computer
> packages if things start to go wrong!
>
> My data will probably consist of open-ended interview questions and
> responses to vignettes. The sample will be about 100 people and I will
want
> to look especially at the language used when people speak on certain
> subject areas and connections between themes that emerge.
>
> Has anyone any advice on the relative merits of using NVivo over Atlas?
>
> I would be really greatful for any advice on my address below.
>
> Thanks
>
> Anji Wilson
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> stop
>
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