Survey of Research Methods MEd Program Nipissing University Workshop Host: Dr. Daniel Jarvis 19 November 2009

1. An Introduction to Atlas.ti Qualitative Research Software Survey of Research Methods MEd Program Nipissing University Workshop Host: Dr. Daniel Jarvis 19 November 2009

2. Workshop Agenda (60 Minutes) • Jarvis Research Resources/Links Website • Atlas.ti Basics Handout, Quick Tour, Manual, Tutorials (Video), and Online Community • Qualitative Research Software Options • Atlas.ti 6 (Student: $130; no upgrades/ no time limit) • NVivo 8 (Student: $255/12 mo, or $135/6 mo lease) • MAXQDA (Student: $130) • HyperResearch 2.8.3 (No Student Rate: $450) • Qualrus 3.2 (Student: $190) • Creating the Hermeneutic Unit (HU) and Assigning Primary Documents (PDs) • Creating/Modifying Codes • Creating Quotations, Memos, Super Codes • Viewing/Printing Quotations using Codes • Merging PDs with Multiple Researchers • ETFO Teachers Learning Together Research Process • Comments and/or Questions

3. What’s Wrong with My Old Methods!?! Cards, Highlighters & Stickie Notes

4. Qualitative Research Software • Lewins & Silver Text (Sage, 2007) provides a brief history of qualitative research methods and compares top software • Broadly defined as Computer Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS (CAQDAS) packages: Atlas.ti, MAXqda2, and NVivo (NUDIST) • Atlas.ti and NVivo appear to be the two current leaders for this type of software product. Both have powerful tools and recent versions of each product make them more user-friendly. If you are working with audio/video data the following software titles now can handle this format: Atlas.ti, HyperResearch, Qualrus, & Transana • Surveying both products on the Internet (e.g., blogs and formal comparisons), it appears that both are ranked as “excellent” for usability and power, and Atlas.ti often ranked first for “value for money” especially in terms of the student/education versions which do not have a time-sensitive window on full functionality.

5. Two Types of Coding Inductive Approachesto Coding (e.g., Grounded Theory, Glaser/Strauss) • Open Coding (first phase with very small segments of data coded); then Axial Coding (second phase with some grouping/merging and themes); and finally Selective Coding (third phase where further grouping/rearranging/testing/etc occurs) Deductive Approaches to Coding (e.g., Miles/Huberman) • Descriptive Codes (based on pre-defined themes/theories); then Interpretive Codes (add more meaning to the coded data descriptively, relationships within coded themes emerge); and finally Pattern Codes (more inferential and explanatory level showing how themes relate across the entire data set) (Lewins & Silver, 2007, pp. 84-87)

6. Using Atlas.ti Research Software • Creating the Hermeneutic Unit (HU) • Assigning Primary Documents (PDs) (Some Warnings and Hints) • Creating & Modifying Codes • Creating Quotations & Memos • Creating Super Codes

7. Using Atlas.ti Research Software • Viewing/Printing Quotations using Codes as Filters • Merging PDs with Multiple Researchers Working at Distance • Other Features (Word Cruncher, Frequency Matrix, Network Views, Co-occurrence)

8. ETFO TLT Research Process (2008-09) • Each researcher conducted focus group interviews (9) • Digital audio files loaded into laptops and several transcribers used Sony Digital Voice Editor (PC) and Express Scribe (Mac) • Creation of HU and loading in (assigning) Primary Documents • Met to discuss broad/specific themes on blackboard (old tech) and agreed upon theme designations that we would all use • Each researcher separately coded their interviews with the established codes; merged the three sets of PDs into master HU • Viewed/printed out the quotations using code filters; divided up these themes and began working separately with quotations dropped into three Word documents • Then began using Google Docs to all make changes on the main master document (real time around the table—very neat!!!) • Finally, the Google Docs file was exported to Word and reformatted using Headings, Styles, Table of Contents, etc.

9. Learning from Our Mistakes & Successes • Do NOT move (change folders) or make changes to a PD once it has been loaded into the HU (note sometimes just moving from one computer—physically with a drive or via email—will just slightly change the size of a file which causes Atlas not to recognize it—this can be fixed up). RTF files in Atlas do allow one to modify the text within Atlas, but better to use Word docs and not touch the PDs after you begin. Atlas does auto-backup, but you can also get in the habit of doing time-stamped backups using the new Copy Bundle feature in versions 5/6. • Overlap in coding is fine (e.g., one can code the same quotation, or parts thereof, with multiple codes) and it’s often better to include more rather than less in the coding stages to provide context to the quotations/ideas. • When merging files in the HU, one should renumber the PDs within the master HU so that all researchers are coding and/or referring to the same documents in their tracking procedures and analysis stages, for clarity. • When using Google Docs or similar software for co-editing, don’t stress over the “strange” formatting or lack thereof; this can be done later in Word when you “clean it all up.” GD is very handy for multi-team.

10. Comments and/or Questions Today’s Materials: http://www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/danj/other/index.htm • Best to first check online tutorials, manuals, and forum • Can also contact Dan Jarvis @ x 4445 or send an email to danj@nipissingu.ca