Qualitative Text Analysis with MAXQDA
Anne M. Kuckartz, Udo Kuckartz
This paper is a written version of a presentation given at the CentrA Seminar on advanced computer aided qualitative research, November 2001 in Granada. The main
targets of the conference were to get an overview of some of the most advanced
software packages supporting the researchers in qualitative data analysis and to link
this overview with a debate of some key issues of the strengths and weaknesses of
qualitative research. We wanted to keep the character of the conference presentation
in the present paper. Therefore most of the original sheets but completed it by explanations and comments are put at the reader’s disposal.
The presentation is divided in three parts. In the first part some key points of
qualitative research will be marked out before we scope the methodological
background of the software tool MAXQDA, follower of winMAX in the second part.
The third part is dedicated to a closer look on MAXQDA in practice.
SHEET 1
For further information to both software packages see: www.MAXQDA.de and www.winmax.de
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I
The Paradigm of Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is part of the answer that social sciences give to their very basic
question:
SHEET 2
We will recall the complexity of the real world for a minute by looking at the definition
Anthony Giddens gives of social life (Giddens 1984:XXIVf.).
SHEET 3
2
Within the spectrum of social research methods the Qualitative Research Paradigm
claims for a great variety of issues to correspond particularly well to this complexity of
the real world and to bring out reliable results for the issues in question. Qualitative
Data Analysis takes advantage of the chance to reach an in-depth understanding of
the social reality and thus to be able to develop relevant middle-range theories about
a particular social phenomenon.
The essential gain of reliability in qualitative research is convincingly expressed by
Denzin and Lincoln (Denzin/Lincoln2000:3).
SHEET 4
3
Let’s again take a look at Denzin and Lincoln, to see some of the weak points of
Qualitative Research, weak in the sense of giving special challenges for the researchers (Denzin/Lincoln2000:6).
SHEET 5
Doing qualitative research implies an increase of methodological creativity but also
an increase of ambiguity and uncertainty. There are no convenient rules and fixed
procedures at the researcher’s hand which she or he has doing quantitative research
and which make life safe and somehow easy.
The main methodological advantage of qualitative research - to provide research
results of great reliability - is confronted by a reproach resulting from this very
strength.
The researcher accumulates a great amount of data (observations/interviews/field
notes etc.) and has to reduce and to condensate all these information to a data
grounded answer to the research question.
The „lack of transparency combined with a tendency towards an “anecdotal approach
to the use of data in relations to conclusions or explanations are some of the key
points of Qualitative Research criticism“ (Bryman 1988:77, cit. in Silverman 2000:11).
4
The use of software tools is a powerful possibility to handle these weaknesses of
qualitative research. The gain of transparency and the possibilities to incorporate also
elements of quantitative analysis procedures can be a feasible way to proceed in
overwhelming the still existing dualism of quantitative and qualitative research.
We will to finish the short view on the methodological basics of qualitative research
by a rough sketch of its procedures. Anselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin distinguish
three major components of qualitative research which is shown in the following sheet
(Strauss/Corbin 1998:11 ff.).
SHEET 6
In all three parts of the qualitative research process the computer has become a basic tool. Whatever is the type of data, however they have been created, they are
brought into a computer as text, audio or video data. In a more and more self evident
and extensive way the computer is also used in the second part, the analytical core
of the research process where the interpretation and organisation of the data takes
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place. It is the great challenge for the researcher in this phase of the research process to preserve the embodiment of the field data in the “real world” of words and/or
situations as one of the basic strength of the qualitative research. Reaching this target they have to find the best possible balance between maintaining the context of
the data and the unavoidable selection and reduction of data during the analytical
process.
Looking at the qualitative research methods we can identify two major fields with
different sources each: The classical methods which have been developed since the
birth of the qualitative paradigm and the new methods, which appeared only a short
time ago and are still in the process of elaboration.
SHEET 7
SHEET 8
Looking at the procedures which are at the researchers’ disposal we find that the basic ones are suitable for computer aided qualitative data analyses. Again we can differentiate between those assigned to the classical and those assigned to the new
methods.
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SHEET 9
All listed procedures are applied on the data being analysed (e.g. texts). The
definition of codes, the writing of memos, and the definition of variables are the
operationalizations of these methods. All of these procedures are supported by
MAXQDA.
II. Methodological Background of MAXQDA
The main foundation of MAXQDA is found in the methodological works of Max Weber
and Alfred Schütz. They aimed both for a methodologically controlled construction of
typologies. Schütz indicated that the cognitive process of typification is a fundamental
anthropological technique, which enables us to understand our everyday world as
well as to conduct scientific inquiries (cf. Schütz 1962:7 ff.). Abstractions and typifications assist our thinking, consequently the procedures of classification, quantification
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and constructing typologies are always present on a subliminal level, even if is no
formal classification or act of counting, in the mathematical sense, occurs. Max Weber said that the construction of understandable types of action was the central goal
of empirical social science. Action types are a connecting link between the
hermeneutic method, which tries to understand the single case, and statistics in the
social sciences, which focuses on regular or law-like relationships (cf. Weber 1964,
Kuckartz 1991).
To a certain extent this is the position of unified science: it aims to integrate qualitative and quantitative research methods. However, this does not mean overlooking
the differences between the two methodologies, and the different criteria for reliability
and validity associated with them. But the methodological aim is to identify patterns in
social regularities and to understand them in the sense of controlled Fremdverstehen
(understanding the other).
Doing qualitative data analyses with MAXQDA supports the researcher in his effort
to construct empirical types in the process of a case-oriented analysis. Typification
always relates to individuals, i.e. the respondents. The types do not necessarily have
to be personal, in the sense of people having certain typical features or character
traits, but can also mean types of actions, situations, experiences or attitudes.
The overall purpose of the case-oriented- analysis is to classify and, if necessary,
quantify the qualitative data or parts of it. In doing so, the ‘case’ (i.e. the respondent
in question) forms the referential basis of this method. Both software tools, winMAX
and MAXQDA are based on this methodological model: The case oriented quantification.
8
During the process of analysing two levels can be distinguished. The scheme of the
first level is presented in the next sheet:
SHEET 10
The title “1srt level coding” (SHEET 11) should not be misunderstood in the way that
the analysis starts right away with the decontextualization of text segments. Quite the
reverse: The first steps in this model are hermeneutic, it parallels to a large extent
procedures used in the fields of phenomenology or ethnography (Geertz, 1973). First
of all it is essential to make sure about the subjective meaning of a text. The principal
of “interpretive understanding”, based on Weber’s concept of social interaction is the
underlying theorem.
9
Social interaction is a form of human behavior to which the actors involved attaches subjective meaning and which is related to the behavior of others. The term
‘meaning’ is related to the subject and is not, according to Weber’s definition, ‘any
kind of objectively correct or metaphysically explored true meaning’ (Weber 1964:4).
‘Verstehen’ therefore primarily means ‘understanding’ the behavior of those individuals who take part in social interaction. Only on this basis the search for regularities, for ‘understandable types of action’, makes sense.
For the same reason the first steps of the case-oriented method are not a segmentation of the texts and a decontextualization of text segments, but an ‘overview’
of single cases. The codes that are developed in the following two methodological
phases and then allocated to the text segments can, in this form of analysis, be characterized as thematic categories. They are used to identify themes in the transcribed
interviews. Coding is the preliminary step, the necessary prerequisite for the following
evaluation of the data, in which first of all text segments of the same category are
compared. By means of contrasting comparisons this comparative analysis of themes
aims at identifying similarities between individuals, peculiarities of single cases and
relationships between categories.
Although these coding and retrieval techniques are relatively simple, they consume a
lot of time and effort on the part of the researcher. The results initially appear to be
rather meager: But the data has been clearly structured and ordered. A close inspection and interpretation of the data can now reveal typical patterns and guide to further
questions.
The bigger the sample, and therefore the data, the harder it is to identify complex
patterns. It is common to conduct 20 or more interviews during a qualitative study,
but even with this population size (which is small compared to the sample size in
mainstream social research) it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether
the apparent or intuitively observed relationships, which are often labeled with quasistatistical terms (typical, mainly, pattern, orientation pattern, model, leitmotiv), are
indeed verified by the data.
The evaluation method of case-oriented quantification addresses this problem. By
means of careful classification of the data and by the rating of individual statements
on scales the aim is, on the one hand, to extract the maximum amount of information
from the data and, on the other hand, to identify complex relationships on the basis of
these newly constructed variables.
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The 2nd level coding process is schematically shown in the following Sheet.
SHEET 11
The 2nd level coding is starting with the compilation of text segments belonging to
one thematic category. It ends up by the rating of individuals, the respondents, on
scales. The simplest possible case would be a process of coding in which only a single variable on a yes/no scale is rated. Interpretation and classification processes,
requiring repeated readings of the data, take place between the starting and finishing
point of the second-order coding.
After the first step, a dimensional analysis is conducted whose natural starting
point is a re-examination of the material. The process of dimensionalization was described in detail by Anselm Strauss (cf. Strauss 1991:44 ff. and 204, Strauss and
11
Corbin 1990: 69-72). The principal aim is to identify distinctions in a particular section
of the data. The distinctions do not necessarily have to be inductively drawn from the
data, but can also be based on existing contextual or theoretical knowledge (cf.
Strauss 1991: 41). The process of dimensionalization can be conducted in several
steps and on several levels, so individual distinctions can be further distinguished to
construct sub dimensions.
As a result of the dimensionalisation the construction of variables can be done as
the next step. An examination of the material is necessary at three points: at steps 1,
4, and 7. If the material is extensive, it is recommended that the analysis of dimensions and the definition of variables and their values are conducted with only a part of
the material. For case-oriented coding an examination of all the material is of course
necessary.
The model is not conceived of as an inflexible, sequential, forward progressing
schema. At certain points it might be necessary to take a step backwards. It might
happen that the ‘case-oriented coding’ reveals that the nominal scale values are not
sufficiently differentiated so the coding instructions have to be changed. Another
possibility is that the original ordinal scale exhibits a degree of differentiation which is
not appropriate to the quality of the data. In this case steps 5 to 7 have to be repeated.
After a complete examination of the material and the entering of the code values
the initial statistical evaluation, a frequency evaluation, can be conducted. If necessary the values the variables take should be modified after this evaluation. This is the
case if the frequency of certain variable values is 0 or negligible, and it does not
seem meaningful, in terms of the research question, to continue.
If we now ask which univariate and multivariate statistical methods can be used to
analyze the newly created variables, we must first of all look at the general criteria for
statistical analysis. The main criteria are:
•
•
•
•
Type of scale
Distribution of characteristics or variables
Size of the sample
Appropriateness of the statistical model
For data generated by second-order coding the scale is usually not metric, the
distribution is not known and the assumption of a Normal distribution usually cannot
be justified. The size of the samples is rather small, and compared to the size of well
known surveys (ISSP, EUROBAROMETER etc.) is in fact tiny. What avenue of
statistical analysis remains open in the face of these adverse conditions?
12
Univariate evaluations of the items by means of frequency counts with the results
expressed as percentages are certainly possible. Measurements from robust statistics, such as the median, are more appropriate as measures of central tendency. The
arithmetic mean or variance cannot usually be used because of the type of scale.
As bivariate methods of evaluation, cross-tabulations with the figures also expressed as percentages are most appropriate. With such tabulations it is easy to recognize conspicuous cells in the table which stick out because of their over-proportional frequency. To identify such configurations, whose content can also be meaningful, the chi-square test can be used and the chi-square residual of the single cells
can be calculated. Cells that show a particularly large deviation between the expected and the observed frequency can then are more closely investigated by means
of, for example, retrieval of the appropriate coded text segments.
As far as the multivariate methods are concerned the classical inferential statistics;
variance, regression and factor analysis, as well as the modern methods of linear
structural analysis and confirmatory factor analysis are certainly not suitable for this
type of data. However, exploratory multivariate analysis methods, such as correspondence analysis and especially cluster analysis are well suited (cf. Anderberg
1973, Aldenderfer and Blushfield 1987, Bailey 1983).
The significance and the purpose of the case-oriented quantification method is not
just the frequency evaluation, or quantification, made possible by the second coding
process. The real advantage is at the level of analyzing relationships and the possibilities for selective retrieval, in which the values of the variables for different respondents serve as a selection criterion for accessing the text segments. Analysis of relationships, employing proven statistical methods, can now be conducted without any
further preparatory work.
The integration of quantitative operations into the analysis of qualitative data
occurs in case-oriented quantification with the objectives of comparing the
investigated cases and the creation of types. There are parallels between the simple
analysis techniques of coding and retrieval and the method of grounded theory; this
method does not stop after coding and retrieval at description and interpretation, but
continues the coding. In principle, work on the codes does not stop there, but new
codes, integrating codes etc. are defined. As opposed to this work on the codes
(content analytic categories), the case-oriented approach works with explicit coding
of the values of a variable. The unit of analysis is the person, the case, for whom a
score on each variable is calculated.
The advantage of classification is immediately applicable;
assumptions of and statement about correlation can be verified
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immediately. This does not have to be oriented towards the
significance of relationships. The method would have been totally misunderstood if the only concern were the significance
of relationships, this would also be a scarcely adequate
strategy with samples that, in most cases, are not random.
However, the coefficients, as a descriptive measure, could
highlight the strength of relationships within the sample.
Their value lays, therefore, not so much in hypothesis
testing, but they have a heuristic value in terms of
constructing a theory. The second coding process also
highlights a problem which, until now, was valid for
qualitative data analysis and the coding processes involved,
namely the question of reliability and validity was largely
neglected. A task for future research will be to develop
practicable strategies for controlling the quality of coding.
III. MAXQDA in Practice
The Desktop
The Desktop of MAXQDA keeps the clearly structured main screen with four main
windows which is well known from winMAX.
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SHEET 12
MAXQDA - FOUR-WINDOWS-SCREEN
The basic structure of the MAXQDA desktop is the simultaneous presentation of
four windows, each of them containing the essential data for the analyses. Size and
arrangements of the four windows are not fixed. Each of them can be changed in it’s
size, switched on and off depending on the users’ needs.
The DOCUMENT SYSTEM WINDOW contains all the texts of the project. All the
categories are included in the CODE SYSTEM WINDOW. MAXQDA offers a
hierarchical structured code system with up to ten sublevels. The results of the
retrieval procedures are always brought into the RETRIEVED SEGMENTS
WINDOW. In front of each segment the source information (Text
group/Text/Paragraph and code) is given beside the segment. Finally the TEXT
BROWSER WINDOW shows the text which is currently in work. In case you want to
jump from a text segment shown in the RETRIEVED SEGMENTS WINDOW, a
double click on the source information of that segment will bring the complete source
15
text into the TEXT BROWSER WINDOW; the segment is highlighted in the text, so
the “quotation” shows up immediately.
The basic management functions for the code system and the text document system
are integrated into “their” windows. A click on the icons in front shows all the options
that are offered and the choice can easily be made. Thus in MAXQDA it is really
difficult to get lost - whatever manipulation shall be done – the place in the software
where an action has to be done is always clear and mostly found intuitively.
The menu bar in the second line of the desktop gives access to all subordinated
procedures like import and export of complete projects or parts of it (e.g. the contents
of one or more of the four windows), print outs and backups. It gives immediate
access to the overviews and management of the codes, the memos, and the
variables. The lexical search function (SEARCH) - with an unlimited list of
words/strings to be searched for - is invoked from the menu bar as well as from the
tool bar. The management of text retrieval in the coded segments of the datasets is
completely done in the ANALYSIS section which is accessible from the menu bar.
Also from the menu the user has access to the online help: A short introduction,
sketching the basic functions of MAXQDA and a comprehensive 300 pages manual
with convenient possibilities for selective search is at the users’ hand.
The tool bar of MAXQDA, situated directly under the menu bar on the left side, gives
easy and immediate access to frequently used features. The right side of this line
contains the code bar where the quick-coding and the in-vivo-coding are done. A
mouse click on the little text icon “A” changes the code modus into the edit modus.
The status line on the bottom of the MAXQDA desktop keeps the user always informed about the mode the program is working in: The number of activated texts,
codes and segments in the RETRIEVED SEGMENTS WINDOW. It is shown whether
the sub codes are included into the search procedures or not. The sort sequence
(sorted by texts or by codes) is indicated as well as the currently chosen search procedure.
All icon buttons on the MAXQDA desktop are explaining their meaning by quick info
menus which occur when a button is touched by the mouse.
16
Bringing Texts into MAXQDA
SHEET 13
No matter what types of texts are brought into MAXQDA - whether you have transcripts from interviews, protocols from observational studies, typed articles or texts
copied from the internet - they all have to be brought into the .rtf format (this is not
necessary if you use the windows clipboard!). MAXQDA is based on the real .rtf
format that means that all font attributes are retained: no matter what font, colour,
size or language (special characters) they are.
The documents are ordered in text groups. In case of strictly structured data, e.g.
answers to open ended questions in questionnaires, guided interviews or data with a
fix number of speakers who shall be identified, MAXQDA provides the procedures of
the PREPROCESSOR. This specific procedure allows to pre-code the data before it
is brought into the program. The coding will automatically be done according to the
precoded categories during the process of inserting the data into MAXQDA.
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The text units in MAXQDA are defined as paragraphs. A paragraph is marked by
using the return key – after each RETURN a new paragraph begins. Regarding the
limits, the number of texts can not pass over 99.999 thousand, there is no limitation
on the software side for the number of texts nor for the number of projects which can
be managed in MAXQDA.
Working with Texts in MAXQDA
SHEET 14
One of the very basic principles in MAXQDA is the Activation of texts and codes.
On each level of the code sytem and the text system management in “their” windows
activation and deactivation is provided. Thanks to that specific control option the
researcher can focus highly flexible on whatever selections of texts and/or categories
she/he needs for the analysis of her/his problem in question. A reset button in the
tool bar (first icon on the left) helps to avoid unintended activations: Clicking on it will
deactivate all texts and codes.
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Each text stays always immediately available in the text browser window; no matter
where you are working, it takes only 2 or 3 mouse clicks to get into any of the source
texts.
MAXQDA allows selecting single texts and rearranging them in text sets. Text sets
can be saved; they are an additional option for the user to focus on specific topics.
They also allow saving the results of a complex activation process (e.g. only the texts
with the distinguished features: female, under 30 years, divorced, more than 1 child,
satisfied with the situation of life). The structure of the text groups is not touched by
the Text Sets.
MAXQDA provides an edit modus in the text browser window. A mouse click on the
icon button “A” in the code bar changes it into the edit bar. Now you can add, delete
or correct parts of the text in the text browser window, shortly any changes can be
done. In case you want to create a new text, you just have to define a new text, open
it in the text browser window, switch on the edit modus and anything can be typed in
or brought in via the Windows clipboard (STRG/V).
MAXQDA offers particular features to support teamwork during the analysis
process. The whole projects with all codings, memos and variables can be
transferred by disk or email to the different members of the team. The second
transfer option is: Just the codings and memos of any selected text can be exported
by a team member and imported by another one. Memos can easily be marked in
different colours and/or symbols to support the communication between the team
members.
To enable a clear and easy data organisation, MAXQDA provides overviews over
the entire coded segments, memos and variables. The overviews are organized in
highly flexible tables. The structure can easily be changed by the user; one mouse
click on a quoted text brings it into the text browser windows. All tables in MAXQDA
can be copied (by CTRL+C) to the Windows clipboard and imported (by CTRL+V)
into other programs as MSWORD, Excel or Power Point.
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Coding in MAXQDA
SHEET 15
MAXQDA supplies a variety of code- tools, allowing a specific, convenient and easy
coding work. The code system is hierarchically structured and allows creating up to
ten levels for the sub codes. The text segments are marked by using the mouse, the
coding is done either by drag & drop, choosing directly a code out of the code system
or by using the quick-code-list in the code bar. Single words or expressions in the
source text which highlight specific phenomenon can directly be incorporated into the
code system by using the In-vivo-coding. Clicking on the in-vivo-icon in the code bar
will define the marked word/expression as a code and insert it automatically into the
code system.
The coding is fully visualized, the beginning and the end of a coding is marked out,
the indication of the code is optional. Touching the little rectangle in the code marking
shows a quick info quoting the complete code. The code volume can easily be fitted
to the users need by enlarging or minimizing. Five different colours make it easier to
differentiate code types.
20
A unique feature in MAXQDA allows the researcher to weight the coding. Clicking
on the right button while touching the rectangle of a code mark will bring up the
weight menu showing a fuzzy variable “weight”. The importance of a segment can be
indicated by giving in a value between 1 and 100. The weight can be used as a
selection filter in all retrieval procedures.
The code system provides the researcher with the flexibility which is needed in the
complex process of coding, analysing, recoding etc. By simple drag & drop operations any changes in the structure of the code system can be done. An undo-button
in the code bar makes it easy to delete the last coding – they can be chosen out of a
pick list showing the executed code actions.
Again, MAXQDA guarantees a clear management of the coding in the overview
tables: The frequencies, the coded segments and the linked memos are organized
in tables of the same appearance, structure and properties as we described for the
text overview. MAXQDA has no limits in the number of codes. A coded segment is
limited to 65 kb, which are approximately 30 pages.
Text Retrieval in MAXQDA
SHEET 16
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MAXQDA distinguishes two different types of text retrieval: Code related
retrieval procedures and “free” retrieval procedures: The lexical searches.
The results of the code related retrievals are presented on the list of selected Segments window. The sources of each retrieved text segment are visualized in the
source volume on the left side of the window. All information regarding the segment
is shown: the text group, the name of the text, the line, the name of the code, the
weight. A mouse click on the info pad highlights the segment and brings at the same
time the source text into the text browser window. This is one of the highly effective
tools guaranteeing that the researcher never looses the contact to the source text,
supporting her/him to find the best possible balance between contextualization and
decontextualization. The researcher is very flexible in arranging the retrieval results.
The order sequence can be chosen: A sequence order by texts or by codes.
MAXQDA offers the weight filter as a powerful tool to reduce the data under the
researcher’s control: Only those segments are listed in the list of selected Segments
window which correspond to the weight defined – so a relieving reduction from more
than 1000 to less than 100 text segments can be achieved.
MAXQDA offers a variety of retrieval options. The basic way to run a retrieval procedure is activating the text(s) and code(s) which shall be included into the search. The
result of all codings which are found in the selected texts will be shown in the list of
selected Segments window. For an ambitious in-depth analysis MAXQDA offers
complex types of retrieval procedures: Besides the Boolean operators 10 different
analytical strategies are provided to guarantee an out-standing level of the
hypothesis testing and theory building assistance.
The results of retrieval procedures can automatically been coded if the researcher
finds it worth to be saved.
All retrieval options are accessible from the menu bar. Pressing the Analysis button
brings a pop-up-menu where the selections can be chosen.
The index and the frequencies of the coding are again presented in MAXQDA
overview tables of the same appearance, structure and properties as described above.
MAXQDA Analysis pop up menu
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The lexical search function offers the possibility to search independently from the so
far defined codes and prepared coded text segments. The search function is accessible from the menu bar (“Search”). The search can be done in all the texts, in the
memos, in the text segments currently presented in the list of selected Segments
window or in the activated texts. It can be searched for complete words or just the
strings; the number of search words is not limited. The user can define how many
lines before and after the finding should be shown.
The result is presented in a MAXQDA table which has the same properties as the
ones described above. The results can be saved and/or copied to the Windows
clipboard and directly be used for further analysis. Likely as for the complex retrieval
results, the automatic coding is also provided for the lexical search.
Memos in MAXQDA
SHEET 17
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The memos can be regarded as the researcher’s storehouse for their ideas, background information and first hypothesis. They are an important tool to increase the
reliability of coding and they can also play an important role as a communication tool
for the members of a research team. Memos can be attached at each text line of a
text shown in the text browser window. A double click in the memo volume right
beside the text brings up the memo dialog box. Up to 30 pages text (64 kb) – in .rtf
format - can be written in the text field. Codes can be taken out of the code system
and linked to a memo. MAXQDA offers 11 different colours/symbols to differentiate
specific memo types (e.g. theory/communication/literature….). Memos can also be
attached at codes. This allows writing down definitions of codes and anchor
examples which stay always immediately accessible.
MAXQDA Memo Overview Table
MAXQDA Memo Dialog Box
MAXQDA provides a refined management of the memos. The researchers can immediately and spefically access their memos. Overviews on different levels are at the
users’ disposal. The MAXQDA tables can be requested for one text, for a text group,
for memos linked to a single code or the code system, as well as for all the memos of
the project project. Line in the table corresponds to one memo. Each memo can be
opened directly out of the table line. The memo manager for all projects is
accessible from the menu bar, the selected overviews are accessible from each level
where the selection shall be done (text manager, text group manager etc.).
The memos are completely incorporated into the lexical search function. Thus, the
user can even search for specific words or strings over all his memos.
There is no limitation for the number of memos.
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Variables in MAXQDA – Selective Tool Inside & Bridge to Merge
Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis
SHEET 18
Variables in MAXQDA can be defined as a set of attributes which is linked to each
document. There is no limitation in the number of variables which can be defined or
handled in the program. Four types of variables are offered: string (text), number
(integer), floating point number and Date/time.
The variables are managed in tables as we described above. The table has as many
rows as there are documents in the project and as many columns as variables are
defined. The order of the volumes can be changes by the researcher, the display of
each volume can be switched on or off.
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MAXQDA Variable Table
The variables are directly accessible from the menu bar as well as from the tool
bar. Once a variable is defined 4 internal variables are automatically created: The
text group, the text, the creation date of the text and the number of coded segments
are generated and shown in the variable table. If a variable is created and the
process of giving in the values is started, MAXQDA will save the entered values in a
pick list. After a few inputs the values just have to be chosen out of the pick list
which avoids mistakes and makes the input much more convenient.
The variable table or selected parts of it can easily be exported to statistical
software like SPSS, EXCELL and others, as well as variables can be imported to
MAXQDA from statistical packages.
Besides the merging of qualitative and quantitative data analysis the variables have
an important function within MAXQDA. They are an easy and efficiently to use
selection tool for the documents. On the level of the project manager specific
variable values can be selected and MAXQDA will accept this selection as a filter for
all search procedures – only those documents are activated which correspond to the
selected variables values.
Regarding the limits: There is no limit for the number of variables. The Strings of the
variables are limited to 64 characters – but the limitations of the quantitative programs should be taken into account, especially when the exchange of variable is
planned.
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MAXQDA: Some Special Strength
SHEET 19
Trying to mark out some of the special strength of MAXQDA we consider 4 characteristics to be highly significant. According to our understanding all of them are very
important to an efficient support of qualitative data analysis.
MAXQDA is a highly flexible tool, which supplies the researcher with an
outstanding range of options to organise and reorganize the data corpus and the
code system, to make any changes at the source texts and the memos. The
researcher is supported very well in carrying out any changes she/he thinks to be
necessary.
The second dimension concerns the openness of MAXQDA to surrounding software
programs and to modern forms of working together. Qualitative data analysis is more
and more done in teams, is more and more done in national and international coop27
eration. An increasing number of projects consist of several parts, data are gathered
in different cities, regions or even countries and the researchers try to proceed a
comparative analysis. MAXQDA offers with its teamwork features several strong and
powerful tools helping the researchers to realize an effective cooperation, to share
the data corpus, the code systems and to keep each other on track in all aspects of
the analytical process.
The hostility of the qualitative and quantitative research paradigm softens more and
more. An increasing number of researcher accept that the results of empirical research don’t profit of the cultivation of an ”either….or” in the choice of research
methods. They realize that there a lot of research subjects where a triangulation (c.f.
Flick 1998:229f.) of methods is appropriate – and more and more quantitative elements are incorporated into qualitative research studies. The features offered in
MAXQDA guarantee a smooth transferability from quantitative to qualitative
software tools and aim to be a helpful contribution to this development.
Another dimension with an increasing importance is the accessibility and
transparency of the data. Qualitative research projects tend not only to be shared
out into different geographical places, but we can also find a development towards
the enlargement of the data corpus. Data sets with several hundred documents are
not anymore exotic exceptions. The development of powerful software tools to
support the qualitative data analysis had as one effect the possibility to work with
larger and more complex data sets. In this situation it becomes a great and difficult
challenge for the researcher to reach this best possible balance between
contextualization and decontextualization.
MAXQDA supports the researcher in facing that challenge by providing a variety of
highly efficient tools and offering a basic structure of the software itself which guarantees the researcher
•
•
•
•
to keep always in narrow contact to the source text – it is never more that two
mouse clicks away –
to keep in touch with his own ideas, written down in the memos
to provide at any place and stage of the analysis the information about the
sources of the decontextualized parts of the texts (i.e. the codings)
to enable a transparent and comprehensible Management of the entire
information gathered on the different levels and in the different sections (texts,
variables, codes, memos) of the project (overviews in the MAXQDA tables).
Last but not least we are convinced that the power and technical standard of a software program has not at all to correspond with a complicated and hard to learn
handling of the provided tools. In the development of MAXQDA it is - and it was
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already in winMAX - an important criterion for the internal validation of the programs’
structure and the single tools to make it as intuitive to handle as possible. The
demands of the software tool itself were minimized in order to save the researchers
their energy and intellectual power for a sophisticated, fruitful analysis.
As qualitative researchers we are sure that it should be one of the basic aims of a
software tool to provide an easy to handle tool which allows the researcher to
concentrate on his real task: To analyse his data, find the best possible answers to
her/his research questions and to develop theories which help to understand better
what is going on in the real world.
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