Relevant files:

• Developing Trust Through Process Texts
• Add the first analyses we did last summer.

Call for papers:

CALL FOR PAPERS

FQS Issue 8, May 2002: Using Technology in the Qualitative Research Process

Editors: Graham Gibbs, Department of Behavioural Sciences, University of Huddersfield, UK Susanne Friese, Department of Marketing, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark Wilma Mangabeira, School of Social Science, University of Middlesex, UK

The first programs to aid the process of qualitative data analysis were developed in the mid 1980s (The Ethnograph) and early 1990s (Nud*ist, ATLAS.ti, Max, Intext). We now not only have a wide variety of software to choose from, but the features available to researchers have become more and more sophisticated. Nowadays technology also offers new possibilities for data collection, storage and presentation. Online data collection, for example, is now a reality. These advances not only provide opportunities but also pose challenges and create limitations for the researcher. Ethical and quality issues, for example, need be revisited and discussed in light of these developments.

The aim of this issue is to present a state of the art picture of what technology has brought to the qualitative research process and to the qualitative researcher, and to engage in a critical discussion of the opportunities and limitations. Papers might cover any of the following topics (but other, relevant papers will also be considered). ·

Computer assisted qualitative data analysis:

experiences with standard packages like NVivo, Nudist, ATLAS.ti, WinMax, The Ethnograph, CISAID, HyperResearch, etc.

experiences with database, concordance, content analysis software like Textquest and others

experiences with word processor approaches or other non-specialised software for qualitative data analysis

Comparative reviews of computer assisted qualitative data analysis software

Computer assisted qualitative data collection and use of other information technologies

Use of the Internet for data sources, interviews, etc.

Video, audio and digital video/audio technology in data collection and analysis

Ethical issues of technology use (hidden cameras etc.)

New forms of analysis, writing and presentation made possible by technology (hypermedia, CD-ROM/DVD, digital video presentation etc.)

Role of technology in debates about reliability, validity and other quality issues

Team working with technology, e.g. reflection on how the use of technology affects the research process and how and to what extent it influences discussions between team members (both positively and negatively)

The degree to which technology has opened up new forms of qualitative research

If your research is in one of the above mentioned areas, we would like to invite you to email an abstract of about 300 words to one of the editors by September 23rd, 2001. The abstracts can be written in English, Spanish or German. If you submit an abstract in Spanish or German, we would, however, appreciate it if you also submitted an English version of the abstract. You will be notified by October 22nd, 2001, whether your abstract/paper is appropriate for the issue, and we will then invite you to submit the full length paper. Full papers may be in English, Spanish or German. The full paper is due by January 8th, 2002.

Please email your abstract to one of the editors listed below:

Graham Gibbs: G.R.Gibbs@hud.ac.uk (English)
Susanne Friese: sf.marktg@cbs.dk (German, English)
Wilma Mangabeira: w.mangabeira@mdx.ac.uk (Spanish, English) --

FQS - Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung
/ Forum: Qualitative Social Research (ISSN 1438-5627)

English -> http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs-eng.htm
German -> http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs/fqs.htm

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