Using Software in Qualitative Research
A Step-by-Step Guide
Chapter 10 – Managing Processes and Interpretations through Writing (HyperResearch)
Download the pdf for this chapter guide here.
Chapter 10 in the book is all about managing interpretations; managing where and how you make analytic notes, using software structures to ensure your thoughts do not get forgotten or your notes lost. Ways of expressing or visualizing connections and relationships are sometimes provided in software and help in the generation and management of the ideas that you have about the data. The literature that informs your work is very important and these software programs can be used in many different ways to manage cross referencing with substantive data or to manage the literature review itself. See all coloured illustrations (from the book) of software tasks and functions, numbered in chapter order.
Sections included in the chapter:
Writing as continuous analysis
Critical Appraisals of literature
Analytic memos
Process memos
Definitions
Linking notes to data
Integrating notes with other work
Visualising memos
CH 10 Exercises: managing processes and interpretations
There are many ways to integrate notes, memos, annotations, and other writings within your HyperRESEARCH study.
These include:
- Opening files containing notes, memos, journal entries, and other writing as source files (usually text, rich text, or MS Word .docx format). Apply codes and perform analysis just as with any other source files
- Create Annotations for codes that have been applied to your cases
- Create Descriptions for the codes in your Code Book
- Add memos to your Code Maps
See specific exercises for other chapters for more information:
- Chapter 5:
- Exercise 4: Journals, Notes, Memos in HyperRESEARCH
- Exercise 7: Experiment with creating and defining codes
- Chapter 6:
- Exercise 1: Embedding notes in data or in other material
When displaying or exporting reports from the Report Builder, remember to include the following elements (where appropriate) in your reports:
- Coded Source Text (including any notes and memos etc. you have coded as source material)
- Annotation
- Code Descriptions (check "Include Descriptions as well as "List of All Codes" or "List of Filtered Codes")
Also See in HyperRESEARCH Help
These topics in the HyperRESEARCH Help and the User Guide may be helpful in completing the exercises for this chapter:
- Reporting: Generating Reports, Exporting Study Data
- Windows: The Study window, Code Book, Annotation Window, Report Builder, Code Map Window
To find a topic, choose Help > HyperRESEARCH Help and look through the list on the left side of the Help window.
Writing goes on all the time during analysis, but may not simply be confined to the written word. Visualisations in software provide ways to step back and are closely associated with writing tools in that they help to express ideas and to move on. See Chapter 11 for mapping tools
Ann Dupuis 2014