Computer assistance and the evolution of qualitative data analysis

Authors

• Räsänen Pekka

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23979/fypr.44959

Keywords:

computer assistance, methodological transparency, grounded theory, structured qualitative approaches, research validity, reliability

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to examine the emergence of computer assistance in qualitative
research and to describe its impact on research practices. The use of data analysis
programs is approached from methodological frameworks ofbasic and structured qualitative
approaches. Computer use is also examined from the viewpoint of concrete
operations of data analysis. Particularly the new features, which software packages are
claimed to have brought to data analysis, are discussed in the paper.
It is argued that computer assisted techniques provide possibilities fr developing the
often impressionistic qualitative data analysis procedures into something more integrated,
explicit and systematic. However, it is also emphasised that analysis programs
themselves do not represent any methodological approaches. By offering a special toolkit
fr data processing, computer assistance should be understood only as an attempt to
enhance analytic practices in qualitative research.