I apologized with the previous email which was not meant to be posted to
the group. And I apologized if I have upset anyone. I'm sorry.
WL
At 09:49 AM 8/13/02 +0800, you wrote:
>Have a look at the following question. This is an example of
>misunderstanding of qualitative research.
>
>At 01:21 PM 8/12/02 +0100, you wrote:
>> > Dear Qualitative List,
>> > If one wanted to assess the "richness" of narrative reports using a
>> > qualitative data analysis program, which program would you recommend? To
>> > provide some context, I am conducting a study where participants will be
>> > randomly assigned to one of two conditions and asked to provide a
>>narrative
>> > report of an event that they have experienced. My research question
>>concerns
>> > whether there are differences in the "richness" of reports depending on
>>the
>> > condition to which the participants were assigned. Thank you in advance.
>> >
>>
>>Jason - I agree with much that Harriet Meek said earlier in response to
>>this. Her questions and comments about definition and criteria of richness
>>being central to a helpful answer about software. It would also be helpful
>>to know in what context you 'imagined' a software program could help you
>>assess 'richness'. A couple of extra questions I'd want to ask - how big the
>>dataset ? what is your disciplinary background? what is the epistemological
>>background to your study? I only ask because I think its useful to be clear
>>about what you don't need as well as what you might need. I was once
>>involved very peripherally with someone who had a fairly small data set - 12
>>or so interviews based on interviewees' responses to vignettes concerning
>>moral dilemmas. She began (this was 5 years ago) using a software to 'code'
>>ideas, themes, issues observed in the data. Then midway thro her analysis
>>and after extensive use of Nud.ist, after advice from supervisors, she
>>started to rethink her approach. She realised that she actually wanted to
>>start all over again - looking at the language and style of expression from
>>a much more discourse analysis perspective. She stopped using any software
>>package at all except for 'Word', and simply broke down each sentence or
>>phrase with long, in depth written analysis of what 'work' was going on in
>>each statement. There was always going to be limit to how much a software
>>program like NUD*ISt could support that approach, but she wasn't clear
>>enough about what her approach was, before she started.
>>Some software programs are designed to help you 'manage 'and process large
>>volumes of text - but the trade off is, that you lose touchy feely contact
>>with how you can physically 'handle' and 'annotate' the text.
>>
>>NOW... 5 years later, there are software packages that might have helped her
>>handle her data in more flexible ways. In any of the 'rich text format'
>>softwares, MAXqda, NVivo (parallel stream package to Nudist) she could have
>>had both the touchy feely ability to mark and colour her text and break it
>>down phrase by phrase, with embedded written analysis (or more hidden
>>annotations)...but also have used parallel, traditional coding/retrieval
>>devices if she had wanted, to help her 'manage' other aspects of her data.
>>Rather differently, ATLAS.ti, though not quite yet rich text format -
>>provides efficient ways to set up linked passages (hyperlinks) of say,
>>'trails thro the data' the sequence of which you want to preserve (when
>>re-examining them. This is the restriction with coding... this fragments
>>the text and tends to retrieve the text fragments in 'text' order - not so
>>helpful with narrative.
>>
>>.... hope that helps to contextualise some of the issues you may need to
>>consider -
>>I suppose what I am saying also is that - the management of your data is
>>important - and this is what CAQDAS softwares tend to do well. But ask
>>yourself what you were hoping it could do for you?
>>
>>All these packages are very dependent on you thought processes - nothing
>>happens automatically. There are some packages (investigate Diction 4 for
>>instance which analyses the tone, or confidence level - based on pattern
>>recognition etc - used in management contexts) ...but I'd hesitate though
>>before recommending it as a flexible data management tool.
>>
>>
>>cheers
>>Ann Lewins
>>
>>
>>CAQDAS Networking Project: http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/caqdas/
>>[log in to unmask]
>>Dept of Sociology
>>University of Surrey
>>GUILDFORD GU2 5XH
>>+44 (0)1 483 25 94 55
>>mobile +44 (0) 7966 541 518
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