NVivo originated in the Grounded Theory tradition but used the qualitative research community to evolve to the all-encompassing application helpful for a wide range of qualitative and mixed methods studies.īarbour, R.
The chapter concludes with the observation that NVivo is a multipurpose tool that allows researchers to find their own way and handle a multitude of textual and audio-visual material in numerous ways. The second part of the chapter illustrates the triple power of NVivo: data management, data coding and data analysis by querying coded material or developing conceptual models. Despite this criticism, NVivo is a helpful tool to gain depth and breath in one’s analysis. Even though NVivo and other qualitative software programs are considered today as evident tools for the qualitative researcher, several critical objections have been made against it: the legitimation of any analysis by using software, conflation of qualitative data analysis with the coding process, distancing a researcher from his data and the issue of oversized qualitative research projects. The chapter first presents a critical appraisal of this type of research software in the qualitative research cycle. CAQDAS are basically data management packages, which support the researcher during analysis.This chapter discusses NVivo, a software program to perform Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis. In other words, researchers must equally know that no software can analyse qualitative data. The key message is that unlike statistical software, the main function of CAQDAS is not to analyse data but rather to aid the analysis process, which the researcher must always remain in control of. In this paper, the author reflects on his experience of interacting with one of the popular CAQDAS (NVivo) in order to provide evidence-based implications of using the software. While the issue of mastering CAQDAS has received ample attention, little has been done to address the misconceptions associated with CAQDAS. This may be due to the difficulties that one has to go through to master the software and the misconceptions that are associated with using CAQDAS.
Although the CAQDAS has been there for decades, very few qualitative health researchers report using it. However, Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) are increasingly being developed. For a long time, electronic data analysis has been associated with quantitative methods.
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