Qualitative Data Analysis using Computers / 기본간호학회지

Although computers cannot analyze textual data in the same way as they analyze numerical data, they can nevertheless be of great assistance to qualitative researchers. Thus, the use of computers in analyzing qualitative data has increased since the 1980s. The purpose of this article was to explore advantages and disadvanteges of using computers to analyze textual data and to suggest strategies to prevent problems of using computers. In additon, it illustrated characteristics and functions of softwares designed to analyze qualitative data to help researchers choose the program wisely. It also demonstrated precise functions and procedures of the NUDIST program which was designed to develop a conceptual framework or grounded theory from unstructured data. Major advantage of using computers in qualitative research is the management of huge amount of unstructured data. By managing overloaded data, researcher can keep track of the emerging ideas, arguments and theoretical concepts and can organize these tasks more efficiently than the traditional method of "cut-and-paste" technique. Additional advantages are the abilities to increase trustworthiness of research, transparency of research process, and intuitional creativity of the researcher, and to facilitate team and secondary research. On the other hand, disvantages of using computers were identified as worries that the machine could conquer the human understanding and as probability of these problems, it suggested strategies such as 1) deep understanding of orthodoxy in analytical process. To overcome philosophical and theoretical background of qualitative research method, 2) deep understanding of the data as a whole before using software, 3) use of software after familiarity with it, 4) continuous evaluation of software and feedback from them, and 5) continuous awareness of the limitation of the machine, that is computer, in the interpretive analysis.

The analysis of qualitative data with computer programs: An example of using "The Ethnograph" and "NUD.IST" / 대한의료정보학회지

Today, many qualitative researchers are beginning to seek for help in analyzing their qualitative data by computers. This study was done to introduce computer programs to Korean nurse researchers and to get aquaint them with the functions that can help them. The computers make it much easier for people to think about the meaning of their data, even though computers do not analyze data themselves. As Tesch points out, computer-aided analysis can reduce analysis time, cut out much drudgery, make procedures more systematic and explicit, insure completeness and refinement, and permit flexibility and revision in analysis procedure. There are now several dozen programs that qualitative researchers can use to support their work. There is no best program. The best choice for any researcher depends on prior computer and research experience, on the time horizon, on the project at hand, and on the analyses planned. This study introduced two programs which can be obtained in Korea : The Ethnograph and NUD.IST. Some of their basic features and implementing processes were presented, and their strength and weakness were also compared. It is clear that theory building and theory testing are increasingly seen as central features of good programs, and they are being implemented in a more systematic, user-friendly way. The issue of choosing the appropriate program for certain research is in understanding the program's properties and presuppositions, and how they can support or constrain the researcher's thinking to produce unanticipated effects. The focus needs to be on accessible, useful features that meet the real needs of qualitative researchers. The researcher hopes that these kinds of program, which will fully support the qualitative researcher's real needs will become more available, and that many qualitative researchers in Korea will get acquainted with, and make full use of computer programs for qualitative analysis.