ABSTRACT
Analyzing qualitative data is analogous to the process of making a pot of chili. Similar to cooking chili, qualitative analysis is simultaneously a simple and complex process. It involves the examination of a relatively discrete set of data composed of field notes, interview transcripts, audio clips, photographic images, and various documents and archival materials. In the process of the examination and reexamination of data, systematic research design is a defining feature of qualitative inquiry. In 1995, Lofland and Lofland describe traditional methods for storing and organizing qualitative data in their classic text, Analyzing Social Settings. QDAS is designed specifically for qualitative analysis and it has modules embedded in it that allow for multilevel coding and analysis of data. Coding involves sorting data into categories for further analysis and theory building. Qualitative analysis is facilitated by the memo writing process. These memos contain a record of decisions related to data collection, sampling, and the development of the study's research design.
