What I learned today.

Today I've been working on a proposal for a class project for my qualitative research design class. While struggling with the sections where I have to describe how I will analyze and interpret the data I collect, I discovered that there is software that you can use to analyze and interpret qualitative data just like there is software that you can use to analyze and interpret quantitative data. This may sound simple, especially to those of you who already new about it, but to me it is a revelation!

I guess the software that you can use to analyze and interpret quantitative data, statistical analysis software like SPSS and SAS and Stata are just more well known and, possibly, more well developed than the software that you can use to analyze and interpret qualitative data like NVivo and ATLASti. Most of them (all of them), have trial versions available to download so I hope to be able to test at least one of them on this class project so I'll keep you posted about my progress and what I learn.

P.S. When I was exploring on the NVivo site, I was reminded of some other software that I learned about last year that, at least if memory serves, may do sort of the same thing (provide a means for categorizing and analyzing data) for a different purpose. It's called something like My Brain. The sales pitch described it as a way to organize your life (thoughts, etc.) using memory mapping. But darned if I can find the link to it right now. If anyone out there feels like looking around for it and finds the link PLEASE let me know. Otherwise, when I come across it, I'll post it.