Dear Parvaneh,
1) Limits of try outs
I completely agree that you cannot - normally - try out in detail all the software package you want to compare. But I'm absolutely sure that you get a very real, empirically grounded feeling of the general orientation of a program package and its compatibility with your demands, expectations and orientations. The online tutorial of MAXqda - e.g. - takes no more than about 2-3 hours and you will be able to work with the basic functions of the program. Not too much time to invest, having a period of more that one year ahead of you to the research. The more complex and long term your project will be the more it will be worth to put some time and energy into the decision process.
Concerning the size of a project - well, in MAXqda it is very easy to produce huge projects, just by multiplying the texts provided in the demo data set, then do a couple of automatic coding procedures and using the feature "transform code to variable". Thus, you can easily produce large numbers of texts, coded segments, and variables.
2) Experiences from other users
Again, I totally agree, that the experience you can gather from other users can be extremely useful; especially when they have similar needs. But there may be also big differences in the way users work with a qda tool, their needs etc. So it will be important to make sure about the criteria underlying the assessment of a package.
Best regards
Anne
------------------------------------------------------
VERBI Software-Consult-Sozialforschung GmbH
Anne Kuckartz - Geschäftsführerin - Chief Executive Officer
Stockwiesenweg 14 / 35287 Amöneburg / Germany
Fon: 0049-6422-890070
Fax: 0049-6422-890071
Info: [log in to unmask] / [log in to unmask]
Support: [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]
Website: www.maxqda.de (Deutsch)
Website: www.maxqda.com (English/Spanish)
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: qual-software [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Im Auftrag von Parvaneh Rabiee
Gesendet: Freitag, 16. Juni 2006 13:59
An: [log in to unmask]
Betreff: Re: Software options
Dear Ann
Thanks for your very sound advice but I think the 30 days option is
difficult to take when a- you do not have your data yet and b-you do not
have time to learn each software in order to compare them. That is why I am
so much relying on other peopls's experiences with different softwares.
Thanks again
Parvaneh
-----Original Message-----
From: qual-software [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Anne
Kuckartz
Sent: 12 June 2006 15:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: AW: Software options
Dear Parvaneh,
I could give extended comments on how MAXqda2 and its add-ons, MAXdictio and
MAX MAPS will indeed satisfy in a very effective, easy and elegant way your
ideal demands on a qda software tool, and I will get back to privately to
give you more details.
At this place I would just like to emphasise, that anybody who is looking
for a software tool to help him/her to perform a state-of-the-art
qualitative analysis should be aware, that this decision is a very
fundamental and also a personal one which may easily turn out also as a
decision about fun or struggle during the whole phase of analysis. So I
would strongly recommend to take the chance and the challenge, to take a
look at the packages as well as at the conditions of support and supplied
materials (tutorials, manuals) and thus make a "grounded" decision which
carries you well through the workout of your research.
MAXqda provides a full version of the program (including the add-ons and all
manuals) with a run-time limit of 30 days and full saving options. So with
MAXqda you get the chance to try it out under real conditions (e.g. large
projects!) and of course you are free to work with the supplied
demonstration material as well as with your own data.
Best regards
Anne
------------------------------------------------------
VERBI Software-Consult-Sozialforschung GmbH
Anne Kuckartz - Geschäftsführerin - Chief Executive Officer
Stockwiesenweg 14 / 35287 Amöneburg / Germany
Fon: 0049-6422-890070
Fax: 0049-6422-890071
Info: [log in to unmask] / [log in to unmask]
Support: [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]
Website: www.maxqda.de (Deutsch)
Website: www.maxqda.com (English/Spanish)
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: qual-software [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Im Auftrag von
Parvaneh Rabiee
Gesendet: Freitag, 9. Juni 2006 14:50
An: [log in to unmask]
Betreff: Software options
Dear all
I used the online discussion a few years ago when I used Nvivo 2 for the
project I was working on at the time and I found it extremely useful. I was
wondering if, and very much hoping that, you could give me some advice.
I am investigating software options for the study I am currently involved
in. As a team of researchers (7 people involved) we have recently started a
qualitative longitudinal study that will go on for 3-4 years. It is quite a
large scale study involving three groups of people with different
conditions. All in all, we could have up to 700 to 800 transcripts. We want
to look at individuals over time, experiences within groups and those across
groups.
Ideally we are looking for software that:
o Can support qualitative longitudinal data analysis
o Can manage large datasets
o Support team working
o Has a hierarchical structure for coding
o Can manage visual images, not just text
o Offers some kind of visualisation of connections
o Be user-friendly
I know the list is long and there may not be anything that could do all of
that but is there anything you could recommend to us? I have come across
NVivo 7, Atlas ti and MAXqda but I haven't used them and I don't know how
suitable they are for our study. There may well be something else I haven't
come across. I greatly appreciate your thoughts and views on this especially
if you have conducted similar work or have come across any of these issues.
Thanks again and look forward to hear from you.
Best wishes
Parvaneh
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