Selection of Software Packages for Data Analysis Essay

Software Tools for Qualitative Research

Data Analysis Software Packages

Exploring Options for Research Software Tools

As a quick reference tool, I created a table to compare primary features of three data analysis software packages: NVivo 10, Atlas.ti 7; and HyperRESEARCH (which also includes HyperTRANSCRIBE as a separate complementary option). This information is shown in Table 1, which is provided at the end of this work.

After reviewing the software packages for data analysis, I believe that using a software package would be very helpful, supporting my research and enabling me to conduct data analysis more efficiently and effectively. My mixed methods approach in this study means that I will be managing and collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. Since all three of the data analysis software I have reviewed have the capability to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data, I will discuss each software package as it relates to my research design.

NVivo

This software package is used as the point of comparison for features available on the additional software packages I reviewed. The feature that holds the most appeal to me is the visualization tool, which helps to keep the emerging themes close at hand and shaping up in a comprehensible way because of the visual structure. In addition, the software has the capability of collecting, organizing, and analyzing any type of data that I am likely to obtain for this study. The interface is designed to work with the elements of literature reviews; this seems like it would b a nice feature since literature reviews can become quite large and cumbersome while at the same time replete with critical information and links to theory that must be efficaciously managed.I like, too, that components of a study can initially be managed and analyzed and then later merged with other research components. Finally, the ability to edit within the document is a huge value-add, and the flexible use of color would certainly support my orientation to coding.

Atlas.ti 7

Atlas.ti is known for its strong research training programs, the existence of which is a reflection of the complexity and capability of the data analysis software program and platform. I like that Atlas.ti software is undergoing revisions that will make it Mac-friendly as a native application. Earlier versions of Atlas.ti included the capacity to convert from a Windows-based program to a Mac-based program, but those types of conversions are typically fraught with problems. Atlas.ti is complicated enough without adding any additional conversion burdens.

What I don't like about the Atlas.ti software is that the coding all defaults to a side corridor, ostensibly to keep the data coding at the top of the stack and close at hand. But if a researcher is working on a small laptop or with a smaller sized monitor, the windows get compressed and the review of the document becomes difficult. The co-occurrence search is a boon to creating buckets of data and supporting the emergence of themes, as are the semantic network displays. The capacity for coding media files may be top of the line for the industry, which is a strong benefit, given that my research includes in-depth interviews.

HyperRESEARCH and HyperTRANSCRIBE

The code and retrieve….....