Qualitative research is a method to get insights into any problem. This research method provides you with in-depth details for a better understanding. In this method of research, you have to deal with non-numeric data. At the time of data collection, open-ended questions are preferred to access the logic of any statement. Also, the use of the right software is a major concern for data analysis. Therefore, this article aims to discuss some software that can work well for qualitative research.
Which software can work well for qualitative research?
Following are some best software for qualitative research:
- MAXQDA
- ATLAS.ti
- QDA Miner
- Taguette
- NVivo
Let’s discuss different features of each software in detail.
1- MAXQDA
MAXQDA is software that works well in the categorisation of data. The data can be in different forms, including interviews, questionnaires and surveys. The best thing about MAXQDA is its frequent use in the research community because you can use this software for quantitative as well as qualitative research. You can find its high use at educational and organisational levels. MAXQDA supports different languages, so researchers from different countries use it in their native language.
The results obtained from MAXQDA are very reliable and effective. This is why most of the writers from the Cheap Dissertation Writing Services UK use it. It is better to use this qualitative research software individually. You can use it while working in the form of a group, but it can cause some trouble. So, it is better to avoid group work. MAXQDA has free as well as paid versions of software. As a student, you should prefer the free version. In contrast, the organisational sector should go for paid versions to access the advanced features.
2- ATLAS.ti
ATLAS.ti has extra AI features that make it valuable in the research market. Its advanced features can help you organise large bundles of data. You will find it more collaborative if you compare ATLAS.ti with MAXQDA and NVivo. It may not be affordable for students, but professionals can get the best out of it. For qualitative research, you can find it cooperative for data of different file formats. The use of ATLAS.ti is a smarter way to find the research findings out of subjective data.
When using this software, you do not have to provide details but evaluate your data automatically. The advanced feature in the form of AI makes data handling easy and fast. This software has a major role in machine learning that can facilitate the generation of algorithms. Therefore, it becomes easy to organise and analyse data in non-numeric form. By using this software, you can complete your task in a short duration of time. It supports different file formats. You can import social media data for storage and analysis.
Furthermore, the data in audio and video can also be used for analysis. If your data is in text form, you can use that data too. In the last, this software is capable enough to support PDF files and images as well.
3- QDA Miner
In qualitative research, there are three major concerns. The first is a systematic arrangement of data, while the second is to code the qualitative data. The last concern is to analyse data for having valuable results. By using QDA Miner, you can do all these tasks very easily. It is better to use QDA Miner individually. When you use it in group form, things become complicated to understand. An amazing thing about this software is the advanced visualisation of data. You must use the latest version of QDA Miner for the best and most accurate analysis results. It has paid as well as a free version for data analysis, but you have to deal with some limitations in the free version.
4- Taguette
One of the best free open source software is Taguette. This software works well for handling qualitative data. The import and export of data do not require any high techniques. Also, you do not have to spend a long time learning this software. It is trouble-free to use different versions of Taguette. There are two versions of Taguette that include an online version too. This software helps you in different aspects of data analysis, but it is unable to support different file formats. So, you have to be careful about file format while using this software. Another important thing is related to data automation. You can find many software that helps you automate data in qualitative research, but Taguette does not have this feature.
5-NVivo
NVivo is another software that facilitates data for qualitative research. This software also facilitates you with different formats of data. It can be in the form of text, Docx, jpg, MP4 and MP3. The reason behind its major use is its feature of auto-coding. The researchers find it easy to use for the small size of qualitative data. In case of a large sample size, the challenges increase. Also, you have to spend a long time. That is why researchers do not prefer to use NVivo for a large sample size. For the use of the software, the terms and conditions are different for students and employees. Students can also enjoy free trials of NVivo. Other than qualitative research, you can use NVivo for the mixed-research method. One of the best things about NVivo is that you can use it on Windows and Mac versions.
Final Thoughts
The use of the software is necessary in the case of qualitative research. Without software, getting the best results from raw data becomes challenging. At an educational and organisational level, the use of the software is very frequent. The use of software makes it easy to highlight the valuable data out of the trash. In this way, your research can make effective results and conclusions. Thus, data analysis through software reduces so many errors. You can use all the above-mentioned software for qualitative research.
