DFM Memo: QDA software and support

This page summarizes our position on QDA software in the DFM project.

Background

In qualitative research, QDA refers to “Qualitative Data Analysis”. This is a process of applying thematic codes to documents or segments within them, to aid in analysis. For example, individual responses within a series of interview transcripts could be annotated with thematic codes such as “wholesale price”, “well-being”, “labour”, “role of children”, and the like, matching the content of each response. QDA software can then aggregate all passages matching the same theme, providing a simple way of looking for commonalities and variations across a large dataset. For more detail see Coding (social sciences) on Wikipedia.

The Dried Fish Matters project proposal identifies QDA software Atlas.ti as one of the “standard software tools” to be used in analyzing data from different actors in South and Southeast Asian dried fish value chains.

In the second phase of the DFM project, our Thematic Working Groups will undertake regional-scale syntheses of qualitative data from Scoping and follow-up field research. To achieve this, it will be desirable for each Research Team to provide the Working Groups with:

• Raw interview transcripts (stripped of personal identifying information) and other source field data
• A database or index associating thematic and analytic codes with the field data
• An list of the thematic codes contained within the document, with brief descriptions or notes explaining their use.

Expectations of Research Teams

The research agreements signed by the DFM Research Teams vary in their specifics, but all list field data and a codebook as expected deliverables. The terms of reference for these deliverables do not mandate a particular format, instead providing guidance on what each research team MAY or SHOULD attempt to provide. Sample terms are listed below.

Database of anonymized field data

• MAY be provided as records in a shared QDA database format (Atlas.ti, Nvivo)
• SHOULD include both content and thematic codes attached to each record

Thematic codebook

• SHOULD provide a brief methodological overview
• SHOULD provide an analysis of key points or themes
• SHOULD provide a list of analytic and thematic codes with brief definitions
• MAY provide memos concerning the context and application for codes by the team

Software licenses

The two most popular QDA software options are Atlas.ti and NVivo. Given that software licenses for NVivo cost approximately 25% more than for Atlas.ti, our preference is to supply licenses to Atlas.ti.

It is possible to export data from either Atlas.ti or Nvivo in an exchange format that can be read by the other program (REFI-QDA). Some structured analytic data specific to one program or the other may be lost in the conversion, though all codes should transfer over. As such, researchers who already use NVivo are welcome to continue using that product and to export their data in the cross-platform REFI-QDA format.

Students may be able to access either NVivo or Atlas.ti at heavily discounted rates through their educational institutions. DFM can reimburse the cost of student licenses for either product.

As there are significant volume licensing discounts (see pricing table below), we would hope to purchase multiple licensed copies of one product at the same time. Nonetheless, we can add on further licenses later. Our determination is therefore to cover the cost of one or two Atlas.ti licenses per Research Team, subject to justification.

Licensing costs for Atlas.ti

Number of licenses	Total cost	Cost per license
10	$ 7,394	$ 739
15	$ 10,629	$ 709
20	$ 13,710	$ 686
30	$ 18,486	$ 616

Atlas.ti comes as a desktop application (permanent license without upgrades) bundled with a license for the online “web” version (https://web.atlasti.com/) that supports distributed, collaborative coding across teams. The web version does not yet support image or video coding or code splitting; however, the option to transfer projects between the web and desktop versions is partially supported.

Training

See Help:Atlas.ti for a listing of training and support resources. A coding workshop was held in June 2021 for representatives from each of the DFM Research teams; the first part of this training was supplied in advance as a pre-recorded webinar.

1. Introductory webinar
   1. Introduction to QDA
   2. Navigating Atlas.ti web (see “Atlas.ti web features” below)
2. Coding workshop
   1. Goals of collaborative coding and data sharing
   2. Deductive and analytic coding
3. Collaborative analysis and data sharing (TBC)
   1. Inter-coder agreement and refining the codebook
   2. Collaborative analysis

Atlas.ti web features

Document view: highlight passages (quotes) and assign tags.

Code manager: list the codes and, for each one, pull up a report showing all the quoted passages corresponding to that code, along with the code description.

Code groups: group and sort the codes by assigning a prefix.

Quotation manager: list of highlighted passages (quotes), which can be sorted by date, document name, etc. The quotation manager also allows for comments on each quote.

Reports: similar to the quotation manager, but allows the documents and tags to be filtered by various parameters, such as "document tag contains X" or "quote tag contains Y". (The document itself has subject tags.) There is also a full-text/quote match filter.

Memos: These are basically text annotations, which can be grouped in a rudimentary way.