Coding is easily misunderstood as the ‘basic’ or ‘essential’ function of qualitative data analysis software. In this essay, I discuss how this misunderstanding connects to the technical ease of coding in software; to wide-spread anxiety concerning doing methodologically driven analysis; and to common contexts in which software use is taught.
Read MoreGrammatically speaking, "coding data" implies that something is done to the data; applied to the data. Data are being coded; they become en-coded. However, qualitative researchers also use the term "coding data" when they describe processes in which they generate codes with, or from data. I think this is confusing. The term "coding data" characterizes one end on a continuum of coding practices: coding as sorting. When we describe how we build or reconstruct systems of meaning by analyzing data it may make more sense to say that we're "data-ing codes".
Read MoreUsing PDFs in QDA software is not a new feature, but working with this particular type of file is still somewhat tricky. In this overview I’ll outline general issues with the use of PDFs in QDA software, and I’ll briefly compare import/linking options of PDFs in MAXQDA, NVIVO & ATLAS.TI.
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