LibGuides: Qualitative Data Analysis: Choosing QDA Software

What software is best for your project?

There is no "best" software or technology for qualitative data analysis (QDA). Most programs designed for QDA offer comparable features. The biggest items to consider are:

Can you get access to the software? Licensed QDA software programs will require either a monthly/annual payment or a one-time purchase of access.
Will the collaboration option work for your team? Of the programs described here, Atlas and Dedoose have options for web-based collaboration where multiple researchers can work on a single project file. Other programs described here will require exporting and merging files together after working separately on the document.
Can the program work with your data? Some common issues of data types and software include:
- PDFs: Some programs will have to translate PDFs into plain text files. PDF documents formatted with columns or other formatting may become too difficult to work with.
- Media files: Some programs will allow you to work directly with your image, audio, and video files while others are text only.

Qualitative Data Analysis Software

There are some free tools available for QDA. Free tools sometimes have fewer features and less-sophisticated interfaces than their paid counterparts that are developed by a for-profit company. In most cases, free and open-source programs are created and maintained by an individual or small group doing this work in addition to their main job.

In addition to QDA software, some researchers will make use of other types of software for analyzing qualitative data, such as comments in a word processing document or structuring data in an Excel spreadsheet, as these are more widely available.

Taguette
Taguette is an open-source tool for QDA of text data. You can use the software on your own device, on your own server or on the server provider by Taguette. If you use the software on a server, you can collaborate in real time with other researchers. Taguette is discussed in the workshop on free tools for QDA.
Qual Coder
QualCoder is an open-source tool for QDA. It is installed on your device and includes features comparable to paid software. QualCoder is discussed on the workshop on free tools for QDA.
R for QDA
The open-source data analysis program R can be used for text analysis. Research Data Librarian Sandi Caldrone offered an introduction to using R for text analysis in the R for QDA workshop.

There are many licensed (use requires a paid fee) programs for QDA. Most vendors offer a free trial period to let you test out the software before you purchase a license. Vendors will also usually offer a much reduced rate for current students.

The list of programs here is not exhaustive, but includes those programs that I've seen used among the campus community.

NVivo (QSR International)
NVivo is one of the most popular tools for QDA. You can access version 14 of the NVivo software for Windows on the computers in the Scholarly Commons (Library 220).
NVivo is installed on individual devices, with collaboration allowed by merging files. You can analyze text and multimedia data with NVivo, as well as open-ended survey data. It includes tools for automatically coding text data.
Atlas.ti - Desktop or Web
Atlas.ti has both a desktop and web version of its software. The web version allows analysis of text data and for researchers to work together on the same project with data stored online.
The desktop version is installed on individual devices and allows collaboration through merging files. With Atlas.ti, you can analyze text and multimedia data, as well as open-ended survey data, social media content, and more. Analysis features include sentiment analysis and automatic coding of text data.
MAXQDA
MAXQDA is installed on individual devices and collaboration is conducted by merging files.
MAXQDA allows analysis of text and multimedia data, as well as social media content and open-ended survey data. MAXQDA includes the ability to automatically code text data.
Quirkos - Desktop or Cloud
Quirkos offers both a web-based and desktop software for a monthly fee or one-time license fee. You can analyze text-based and survey data.

QDA software has traditionally been installed on individual computers with collaboration made possible by merging files after each researcher has conducted coding (or some other analysis strategy).

In recent years, there has been a growing number of tools made available online. These tools allow research teams to collaborate in real-time using data stored online. This processes raises questions about data security however. You must ensure that the storing the data on a server owned by a software vendor is allowed within the guidelines of your IRB and agreements with any research participants.

Taguette
Taguette is an open-source tool for QDA of text data. You can use the software on your own device, on your own server or on the server provider by Taguette. If you use the software on a server, you can collaborate in real time with other researchers. Taguette is discussed in the workshop on free tools for QDA.
Atlas.ti (Web)
Atlas.ti Web is a paid software with a monthly fee that allows researchers to analyze text data online and collaborate in real-time with fellow researchers.
Dedoose
Dedoose is a paid software with a monthly fee for users. You can analyze text or multimedia data and collaborate with other researchers in real time.
Delve
Delve is a web-based tool for analyzing qualitative data. It requires a monthly fee for each active user of a project, but supports online collaboration in real-time.
Quirkos Cloud
Quirkos offers both a web-based and desktop version of its QDA software (for a monthly fee). Researchers working on a shared cloud project can collaborative live.

There are other programs and software that you can use for qualitative data analysis. Here are a few possibilities.

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel can be used to organize, record, and analyze qualitative data. Other spreadsheet software, such as Google Sheets, can be used in the same way.
Microsoft Word
You can also use word programs to organize and sort qualitative data. If you don't have access to Microsoft Word, then try Google Docs or LibreOffice.
Logseq
Logseq and other personal knowledge management software can be used to organize and connect data.

The table below shows some of the major features that researchers will use when deciding which QDA software may be most useful for their research. Want to talk more about options for QDA software. Please schedule an appointment or contact me via email.

A table comparing characteristics of some QDA software.
	Free?	Student license?	Multimedia data	Survey data	Automatic coding	Real-time collaboration
Atlas.ti (Desktop)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No - merge only
Atlas.ti (Web)	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dedoose	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Delve	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
MAXQDA	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No - merge only
NVivo	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No - merge only
QualCoder	Yes	NA	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Quirkos	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
R	Yes	NA	No	No	No	No
Taguette	Yes	NA	No	No	No	Yes

Definitions for each characteristic:

Free? Indicates whether the software is available for free to researchers. Yes indicates that the software is either free-to-use or licensed for use open-source.
Student license: Indicates whether there is a reduced fee for the software for current students.
Multimedia data: Indicates whether the software can upload and support direct analysis of video, audio, or image data.
Survey data: Indicates whether you can upload or import open-ended survey data and directly analyze the survey data.
Automatic coding: Indicates whether there are is any ability to identify and automatically code text data within the software.
Real-time collaboration: Indicates whether members of a research team can work with the same data that is stored online or "in the cloud" and see each other's work in real-time.

Books

Books listed here give general overviews to qualitative data analysis software. Books about specific programs can be found on the guide page dedicated to that software.

Computer Supported Qualitative Research by António Pedro Costa (Editor); António Moreira (Editor); Fábio Freitas (Editor); King Costa (Editor); Grzegorz Bryda (Editor)
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 9783031313455
Publication Date: 2023-05-03
This book includes selecting the articles accepted for presentation and discussion at WCQR2023, held from January 25 to 27, 2023. The World Conference on Qualitative Research (WCQR) is an annual event that aims to bring together researchers, academics and professionals, promoting the sharing and discussing knowledge, new perspectives, experiences and innovations in qualitative research. WCQR2023 featured four main application fields (education, health, social sciences and engineering/technology) and seven main subjects: rationale and paradigms of qualitative research; systematization of approaches with qualitative studies; qualitative and mixed methods research; data analysis types; innovative processes of qualitative data analysis; qualitative research in web context; and qualitative analysis with software support. The book is valuable for everyone interested in qualitative research, emphasizing Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS).
Handling Qualitative Data by Lyn Richards
Call Number: H62 .R473 2021 (SSHEL Stacks)
ISBN: 9781526490780
Publication Date: 2021-03-09
Viewing data as the heart of qualitative research, this book provides clear guidance on the steps involved in collecting and managing primary & secondary data while equipping you with a toolkit that they can apply to data in any context.In her positive and jargon-free style, the author discusses how setting up, working with, making sense of and presenting data can be a springboard into learning key research skills and reflecting on methodological issues. New to this edition: Ethical practice learning features, such as exercises and reflective questions Thoughtful guidance on the newer challenges in handling qualitative data, like data security and access to online data New chapters provide clear advice on communicating data to different audiences, and creating impactful data visualizations Online resources that illustrate how to work with data in real research projects; including a 'stepping into software' space that provides practical tips and guidance on using qualitative analysis software effectively
The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers by Johnny Saldaña
Call Number: H62 .S31856 2021 (SSHEL RCC)
ISBN: 9781529731750
Publication Date: 2021-03-31
This invaluable manual from world-renowned expert Johnny Saldaña illuminates the process of qualitative coding and provides clear, insightful guidance for qualitative researchers at all levels. The fourth edition includes a range of updates that build upon the huge success of the previous editions: A structural reformat has increased accessibility; the 3 sections from the previous edition are now spread over 15 chapters for easier sectional reference There are two new first cycle coding methods join the 33 others in the collection: Metaphor Coding and Themeing the Data: Categorically Includes a brand new companion website with links to SAGE journal articles, sample transcripts, links to CAQDAS sites, student exercises, links to video and digital content Analytic software screenshots and academic references have been updated, alongside several new figures added throughout the manual It remains the only book that looks specifically at coding qualitative data, as a core but often neglected skill that researchers and students alike need to effectively make sense of their data and to identify patterns, before they can analyse the material. Saldana presents a range of coding options with advantages and disadvantages to help researchers to choose the most appropriate approach for their project, reinforcing their perspective with real world examples, used to show step-by-step processes and to demonstrate important skills.
Qualitative Data Analysis by Matthew B. Miles; A. Michael Huberman; Johnny Saldaña
Call Number: H62 .M437 2020 (SSHEL RCC)
ISBN: 9781506353074
Publication Date: 2019-01-22
Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña's Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebookis the authoritative text for analyzing and displaying qualitative research data. The Fourth Edition maintains the analytic rigor of previous editions while showcasing a variety of new visual display models for qualitative inquiry. Graphics are added to the now-classic matrix and network illustrations of the original co-authors. Five chapters have been substantially revised, and the appendix's annotated bibliography includes new titles in research methods. Graduate students and established scholars from all disciplines will find this resource an innovative compendium of ideas for the representation and presentation of qualitative data. As the authors demonstrate, when researchers "think display," their analyses of social life capture the complex and vivid processes of the people and institutions studied.