Computer Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS software (CAQDAS) has been around for quite a while, and has assisted researchers in analyzing primarily text-based documents and storing that analysis in a findable and interactive manner. CAQDAS can help researchers to "code," or identify the occurrence of, various conceptual themes present across a corpus of documents in order to bring them together and pull insight from them. Social Psychologists may use a CAQDAS platform to code the responses to interviews, both in text as well as audio, or graduate students may use it to read and keep track of their thoughts for a literature review. The uses are wide and the data management capabilities are many. This guide is meant to expose you to the various options out there and help you to make an informed decision when embarking on a research project that will incorporate a CAQDAS program. Check out a review of some of these platforms here and be sure to read up and make your own comparisons of the various software's websites.
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