This guide offers information and resources for those analyzing qualitative data for research from Jess Hagman, Social Sciences Research Librarian and fellow qualitative researcher. 

Qualitative data can be almost any kind of data, including (but not limited to) interview or focus group recordings and transcripts, field notes, historical documents, images and video, media content, and open-ended survey responses. 

How you decide to analyze your data depends on the methodology and overall research approach you've chosen. There is no right way to analyze your data; you get to decide how to analyze in order to answer your research questions in a way that meets the expectations of your audiences for rigorous research. 

This guide includes information on setting up your analysis and information on choosing and implementing a software for qualitative data analysis. If you have questions, please reach out to Jess Hagman (jhagman@illinois.edu) or schedule an appointment to talk about your specific project. 

Does the university provide free access to any software for qualitative data analysis? 

Illinois Computes now provides access to MAXQDA for up to 20 simultaneous users following these online directions from Illinois Computes. You must be on campus or connected to the campus VPN to use this license.

Note: You must be on-campus or logged into the campus VPN to use this license. 

Faculty and staff can also purchase NVivo and Atlas.ti via the UIUC web store. 

The computers in the Media Commons (room 220) of the Main Library have NVivo 14 installed. These computers are available for use whenever the Main Library is open. 

What is the best tool for my qualitative research?

The best tool is the one that you can access and use effectively, whether that's highlighters and sticky notes or a full-featured QDA software program. If you are in a position to choose between tools, I recommend trying out a couple options to see which works best for your dat and the way you want to analyze it. 

Can I use QDA software with my research group? 

If you're working with other researchers, you'll need to either all of have access to the same tool or make a plan for moving between programs. Some programs (MAXQDA, Atlas.ti, NVivo) work on a file merge model, where each researcher works on their own copy of the project file and the files are merged together later in the process. Other programs support simultaneous analysis through a web-based program (Atlas.ti web, Quirkos, Taguette, Delve).