> Has anyone conducted an evaluative trial of StudioCode software? At
> Falmouth we are just starting out on a couple of education research
> projects collecting audio and video data and therefore beginning to
> investigate qualitative analysis software, including Transana. Any
> guidance welcome.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Caroline Cash
Caroline,
First disclaimer: I am the Lead Developer for Transana, so I come at this
with a bias. Second disclaimer: I haven't actually used StudioCode, so I'm
reporting only what I've heard from others about it, comparing it to
Transana. I readily admit that what others would choose to discuss with me
about the comparison of the two programs may also be biased.
These are the three main points I've heard:
First, StudioCode does not have a facility for transcription, and does not
associate a written record with the video. In contrast, Transana uses the
transcript extensively throughout the analytic process and we consider it to
be an essential component. Their approach is certainly faster. My opinion
is that the written record corresponding to the media file has advantages
that make it worth the time it takes to create. There are also a variety of
transcribing styles and strategies that can be employed, depending on the
needs of a particular research project, to keep transcription process
manageable.
Second, StudioCode is expensive. In contrast, Transana is free and
open-source.
Third, StudioCode has video editing capabilities that Transana lacks.
Transana has a mechanism for presenting video that does not require video
editing, but their approach is probably more intuitive.
David Woods
Transana Lead Developer
Wisconsin Center for Education Research
University of Wisconsin, Madison
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