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TLS 605 - Qualitative Research Methods in Education

What is Qualitative Data Analysis?

Qualitative Research goes beyond the examination of who, what, when, and where, to explore the why and how. Qualitative researchers use surveys, interviews, observation, focus groups, and case studies to understand experiences, gather first hand information, and explore a topic through discussion.

Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) includes a range of processes used to convert collected data that is typically unstructured into accessible forms for researchers to categorize, interpret, and find meaning.

Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDAS) software is used to assist researchers with data management, transcription analysis, coding, mapping, interpretation of text, audio, or video, and other tasks. One advantage of the tools is their ability to store the analysis in a searchable interactive format.

Library resources

See a resource guide on the library website, including information about software for qualitative data analysis (QDA).

A list of the highlights are below:

  • SAGE QDA Methods Map – Visualizes how methods are related and links to relevant content.

  • Zotero Library for QDA – Curated list of key articles by Nickoal Eichmann-Kalwara.

  • QDA Software Overview Video – Explains what QDA software can and can’t do.

  • Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) – Stores and shares qualitative and multi-method research data.

  • ICPSR – Access thousands of social science datasets, both quantitative and qualitative.

  • Finding Text Data Sets – Guide to locating textual data for analysis.