A very useful free concordancing program is Antconc http://www.antlab.sci.waseda.ac.jp/software.html This provides for a variety of functions re exploring a text, including n-grams, and even comparison against another document set. It's available for Windows, Mac and Linux. I recommend it to students as a way of 'reading' a text to complement the normal linear approach, and it provides an easy route to exploring words and phrases in context.
Best wishes
Stephen Gourlay
________________________________________
From: qual-software [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jim Drisko [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 15 May 2013 21:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Free content analysis software
Great commentary.
Thanks to for pointing to Yoshikoder.
I am seeking to illustrate software for CA in a book chapter with about 4 examples of CA specific products. Concordance will be one, the Gottschalk PCAD another due to its focus on an issue of interest to my intended audience, likely TextQuest and perhaps Tropes for variety. I am open to suggestion but wish to show a range of uses and types.
I am not sure I see this qual - quant divide as so stark. To me, in some ways its basic (Weber) vs. Interpretive (Krippendorf) and still others are more narrative or discourse analytic in focus. One can use stats and also do more with interpretation. Even CA is a big tent. (And qualitative is an ever expanding one!)
The fixed initial (usually deductively generated) code list versus inductively creating a flexible and evolving set of codes is a real issue - but I've never found a fixed list that fully fits what people actually say unless one chooses not to see the ambiguity in people's responses. (This fixed list approach may fit some evaluation and some epidemiologic studies in my view).
Stephen seems to have gone still further to include structure - which was a great addition to what I had in mind. (I am a social worker, have some exposure to such analysis but its not my strength).
I do agree that software such as ATLAS.ti can do word lists and counts, can display keywords in context (but not as well as some CA specific products) and could be used to create concordances. As software products become more fully featured they can do many things that may appear as secondary for many users.
I am looking for free, but more quantitatively oriented products - that can do descriptive stats and simple inferential ones (correlations). I know ATLAS.ti can do this too - but the work is too much to make it worth while in my view.
Thanks again to all! This is turning into a rich thread.
On Wed, May 15, 2013 at 1:06 PM, Normand Peladeau <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Stephen asked a relevant question. What do you mean by content analysis? There are at least 2 main definitions of content analysis and people often confuse them: 1) Qualitative Content Analysis (a.k.a. qualitative data analysis) and 2) Quantitative Content Analysis.
The first one is based on manual coding and annotation of text or other media with some computer assistance. Commercial software for this first type of content analysis are NVivo, MaxQDA, Altas.ti, HyperResearch, Dedoose and our own QDA Miner. Free software are TAMS, CD-EZ-Text, ANSWr, rQDA, and our own QDA Miner Lite<http://provalisresearch.com/products/qualitative-data-analysis-software/freeware/>.
Commercial software for the quantitative content analysis, which is based either on statistical analysis of text, or taxonomies (or both) are tools such as our own WordStat software, TextPaq, TextQuest, Alceste, as well as very expensive ones by IBM, SAS etc. I'm not aware of a lot of freeware solutions, except maybe Tropes (mentioned before) or Yoshikoder. There are also some specialized ones like WordScores, WordFish and a few others developed for specific types of data (political news or manifesto) as well as some basic web based tools to analyze text data.
Normand Peladeau
Provalis Research
At 5/15/2013 12:47 PM, you wrote:
Hello all---
In response to Jim Drisko’s question, our “CDC EZ-Text†software remains available free of charge, and it can be used for many content analysis purposes. (I’m personally using it right now for content analysis on one of our agency’s public health projects.) This software is especially helpful for semi-structured qualitative data, and has mixed-method features that allow users to include a variety of structured response forms of questions in their databases (e.g., Likert scale items, drop-down lists, numeric questions, etc.).
It is very important to understand that there are two different versions of “CDC EZ-Text.†The old Version 3.06c will not work on Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 platforms.
Instead, we recommend people consider the newer and more advanced Version 4. Version 4 will work very well on Window Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 platforms. Version 4 also works on old computers with Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows ME, and Windows XP systems. “CDC EZ-Text†Version 4 also works on contemporary 64 bit computers. There are no plans for a Mac version, but some Mac users have had success using Windows emulation programs.
We currently do not have Version 4 available for download from the CDC agency website. Here's where to obtain the “CDC EZ-Text†Version 4 software installation files from a temporary offsite location: http://www.cdc-eztext.com You also can download a PDF file containing a copy of the entire user guide from this same temporary website.
To install the program, you (or your IT department person) should save the "EzText40_Setup.zip" file into a temporary folder on your C: drive.
Once you've downloaded it, extract the 3 files that are in the zip file. They should be:
Setup.exe
Setup.lst
EzText40.cab
After you extract these files, run the "Setup.exe" program. This should install the EzText 4.0 program on your computer’s C: drive (assuming all IT software file download and installation blocks have been temporarily taken down, if you have any).
For software bibliographies, here’s our suggested citation for Version 4:
Carey, James W.; Wenzel, Patrick H.; Gelaude, Deborah; Sheridan, John; Reilly, Cindy; and Burns, David (2008). CDC EZ-Text: Software for Collection, Management and Analysis of Semi-structured Qualitative Databases (Version 4). Atlanta: Developed by MANILA Consulting Group, Inc. for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
..........................
By the way, regardless of the EZ-Text version you use, here are some common Q & A that IT department people often like to know about:
a) What is CDC EZ-Text? " CDC EZ-Text" version 4.xx is a qualitative software program developed to help researchers create, manage, and analyze semi-structured qualitative databases. EZ-Text helps solve the problem of consistency across interview write-ups by allowing researchers to design a series of qualitative data entry templates tailored to their questionnaire. Data can be typed directly into the templates or copied from word processor documents and can accommodate non-English alphabet characters such as Æ, Ζ, é, à , Ã, ó, and ñ. Following data entry, investigators can create on-line codebooks, apply codes to specific response passages, develop case studies or case series, conduct database searches to identify text passages that meet user-specified conditions, and export data in a wide array of formats for further analysis with other qualitative or statistical analysis software programs. Project managers can merge data files generated by different interviewers for combined cross-site analyses. The ability to export and import the codebook helps coordinate the efforts of multiple coders working simultaneously with copies of the same database file.
b) Is EZ-Text a CDC-owned product? Yes! CDC started developing and supporting EZ-Text in 1996. It has been used by CDC staff and non-CDC users since 1996. Older versions of EZ-Text have been used across CDC, and also by non-CDC users elsewhere outside the agency. Version 4.0 is merely the latest upgrade.
c) Where is the program installed? The correct default folder for the installed version of the program is C:\Program Files\eztext40 on each user's workstation. DO NOT install it somewhere out on the LAN or in some other unusual location! This is a stand-alone application, intended to be used by individual users on their workstations.
d) What are the technical features & requirements for the software? The program for EZ-Text version 4.0 was written in Visual Basic® and a proprietary database format. EZ-Text includes features which allow users to export data from EZ-Text databases for use with other software programs. All EZ-Text version 4.0 database file names must have an ".ezt" extension (except for database backup files, which have a .bak extension). EZ-Text version 4.0 runs on Windows® 98, Windows® NT, Windows® 2000, Windows® ME, Windows® XP, Windows® Vista, Windows® 7, or Windows® 8 operating systems. There are no plans to develop versions for Macintosh® or other systems. Please note that Windows® 2000 users must have Service Pack 4 installed for EZ-Text to install properly. Windows® XP users need to have Service Pack 1 installed or beyond.
e) Where do users store their data when they use this program? Users employ EZ-Text to create data entry templates for entering and storing their data into files. They store those database files somewhere on their computer or in their user account folders. By analogy, this works like creating and storing files Microsoft Excel software (although EZ-Text has nothing to do with Excel or any other software application). Just like with any other file (e.g., Word file documents, etc), all EZ-Text data files created and stored within a user's account. If you are a CDC user, your files are fully protected by standard CDC IT security systems. EZ-Text also provides several optional internal password functions for further data protection, if desired (see the User Manual).
f) Is there a site license? No! EZ-Text and all its documentation are public domain products developed for CDC. Users can make, install, and distribute as many copies as they wish without any further permission. Non-CDC users can use it as well.
g) What are the sources of support for EZ-Text?
· The User Manual. This Manual is automatically included with the installation files, just like other common software programs.
• An "example.ezt" database file is automaticcally installed with the program. For a fast start, we recommend that new users open this file, read its contents, and experiment with the software functions. There are no regularly scheduled face-to-face training classes. We believe that the various sources of written user documentation will be sufficient for answering user questions in nearly all cases.
• If users cannot find the answer to their question uusing these documents, emails may be sent to: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Cheers, & good luck with the program! Hope it helps with your work.
Jim
James W. Carey, PhD, MPH
Senior Behavioral Scientist
Prevention Research Branch
Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, Mailstop E-37
Atlanta, GA 30333
USA
email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
From: qual-software [ mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jim Drisko
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 8:55 PM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Free content analysis software
Hello All. I am looking for well-featured, free or open source content analysis software packages.
(The easily accessed web pages on this topic all seem to be 5 years or more out of date.)
Would you share names, pros and cons of any CA packages you have found helpful? Thanks so much.
--
James W. Drisko, PhD, LICSW
Professor
Smith College School for Social Work
Lilly Hall
Northampton, MA 01063 USA
--
James W. Drisko, PhD, LICSW
Professor
Smith College School for Social Work
Lilly Hall
Northampton, MA 01063 USA
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