Changes: Aquad

Revision as of 22:10, 28 August 2011

Aquadsix — Aquad is an example of CAQDAS.

Aquad is Computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) that supports content analysis of open data in qualitative research in psychology, education, sociology, philosophy, medicine, ethnography, politics,etc. Open data are usually collected through observation, introspection, narratives, discussion groups, interviews, etc.

Author

Aquad was developed in Germany in 1987 by Günter L. Huber, professor at the Department of Educational Psychology at the Institute of Educational Science at the University of Tübingen, to make up for limited manpower at content analysis in a research project.

Description

Aquad provides tools as:

Text searching
Coding
Writing memos (annotation)
Word analysis
Retrieving by file name, code, keyword, or parts of memo texts
Table analysis
Construction of linkage hypotheses
Comparison of cases/files

Presentation of data

Data could be analysed as written text, audio, photo, or video. Initially, Computer assisted qualitative data analysis software analysed only verbal texts. The observation, introspection, narratives, discussion groups, interviews, etc. were transcribed and CAQDAS only analysed the transcription (linguistics).

Situation of data

Data could be directly analysed on the screen (one-step) or outside (two-steps). One-step allows to code on the screen with digitalised data. Two-steps allows to enter codes on the screen keeping the documents as realia on the desk or in other means as cameras, TV, etc. For instance, two-steps allows to analyse recordings, diaries, incunabula, or objects without transcribing, taking photos, or scanning them.

Comparison of cases/files by Boolean analysis

Aquad allows comparison of cases/files by "logical minimization". It applies Boolean method of qualitative comparison by Ragin (1989) and detects critical features to identify types of cases.

Versions

Real available version is AQUAD Six that includes examples of analyses of written text, audio, photo, and video. . A demo version and a manual (Huber & Gürtler, 2004) are also available on the website. Aquad is available in German, English, and Spanish.

References

Huber, G. L. & Gürtler, L. (2004) AQUAD Six. Manual for the Analysis of Qualitative data. Tübingen: Ingeborg Huber Verlag. Download
Ragin, C. C. (1989) The Comparative Method: Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Google Books

External links

Aquad 6

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-[[File:Literary_cat.jpg|thumb|CAQDAS: supporting content analysis.]]
+[[File:Aquadsix.png|thumb|Aquad is an example of CAQDAS.]]
-'''Computer assisted qualitative data analysis software''' (CAQDAS) supports the [[content analysis]] in [[qualitative research]]. Qualitative [[researchers]] apply open strategies to collect data, that are usually unstructured. The traditional techniques used in [[qualitative research]] were [[observation]], [[introspection]], [[narratives]], [[discussion groups]], [[interviews]], etc. The researchers transcribed them and CAQDAS only analysed the written [[texts]]. Nowadays, data could be analysed not only as written [[text]] but also as [[audio]], [[photo]], or [[video]] without [[transcription (linguistics)]].
+'''Aquad''' is [[Computer assisted qualitative data analysis software]] (CAQDAS) that supports content analysis of open data in [[qualitative research]] in [[psychology]], [[education]], [[sociology]], [[philosophy]], [[medicine]], [[ethnography]], [[politics]],etc. Open data are usually collected through [[observation]], [[introspection]], [[narratives]], [[discussion groups]], [[interviews]], etc.
+==Author==
-CAQDAS provide powerful means to improve the analysis, to gain rigorousness, to increase speed, and facilitate further contrasts and conclusions. However, CAQDAS do not realise usually automatic analysis: the researcher has to decide which is the best transcription, which is the adequate analysis unit, which are the relevant segments or elements to code, which are the codes and how he/she is organising them, the complexity of the coding strategy, etc. CAQDAS are only a help; a very useful help; but only a help.
+Aquad was developed in Germany in 1987 by Günter L. Huber, professor at the Department of Educational Psychology at the Institute of Educational Science at the [[University of Tübingen]], to make up for limited manpower at content analysis in a research project.
-==Tools==
+==Description==
+Aquad provides tools as:
-As a general approach, a CAQDAS could have these tools:
-* Content searching
+* Text searching
-* [[Coding]]
+* Coding
+* Writing memos ([[annotation]])
-* [[Retrieving]]
+* Word analysis
-* Writing and [[annotation]]
+* Retrieving by file name, code, keyword, or parts of memo texts
-* [[Linking]]
+* Table analysis
-* Mapping
+* Construction of linkage hypotheses
-* Query
+* Comparison of cases/files
-==Different kinds of CAQDAS==
+==Presentation of data==
+Data could be analysed as written [[text]], [[audio]], [[photo]], or [[video]]. Initially, [[Computer assisted qualitative data analysis software]] analysed only verbal texts. The [[observation]], [[introspection]], [[narratives]], [[discussion groups]], [[interviews]], etc. were transcribed and CAQDAS only analysed the [[transcription (linguistics)]].
+==Situation of data==
-===Free / open source software===
+Data could be directly analysed on the screen (one-step) or outside (two-steps). One-step allows to code on the screen with digitalised data. Two-steps allows to enter codes on the screen keeping the documents as [[realia]] on the desk or in other means as cameras, TV, etc. For instance, two-steps allows to analyse recordings, diaries, incunabula, or objects without transcribing, taking photos, or scanning them.
-* [[Coding Analysis Toolkit]] (CAT)
-* [http://www.ryantcragun.com/wp-qda-marked-text/ WP-QDA Marked Text] a Wordpress plugin that allows rudimentary CAQDAS
-* [[RQDA]]
-* [http://www.pressure.to/qda/ WEFT QDA]
-* [http://storytelling.concordia.ca/storiesmatter/stories-matter-application-v151c5 Stories Matter]
-* [[Compendium (software)|Compendium]]
-* [[Transana]] (Is a pay software, though it has a GPL licence) (it needs QuickTime)
+==Comparison of cases/files by Boolean analysis==
-===Proprietary software===
+Aquad allows comparison of cases/files by "[[logical minimization]]". It applies Boolean method of qualitative comparison by Ragin (1989) and detects critical features to identify [[types]] of [[cases]].
-* [[A.nnotate]]
-* [[Aquad]]
-* [[Atlas.ti]]
-* [[HyperRESEARCH]]
-* [[MAXQDA]]
-* [[NVivo]]
-* [[XSight]]
-* [[Qiqqa]]
-===Web-Based===
+==Versions==
+Real available version is [http://www.aquad.de/ AQUAD Six] that includes examples of analyses of written [[text]], [[audio]], [[photo]], and [[video]]. . A [http://www.aquad.de/eng/demo.html demo version] and [http://www.aquad.de/eng/manual.pdf a manual] (Huber & Gürtler, 2004) are also available on the [http://www.aquad.de/ website]. Aquad is available in German, English, and Spanish.
-* [[Dedoose]]
-* [[Coding Analysis Toolkit]] (CAT)
-* [http://pcat.qdap.net Public Comment Analysis Toolkit] (PCAT)
-* [http://discovertext.com DiscoverText]
 ==See also==
+{{Multicol}}
+*[[Qualitative research]]
 *[[Qualitative economics]]
-*[[Quantitative research]]
 *[[Qualitative marketing research]]
 *[[Qualitative psychological research]]
 *[[Sampling (case studies)]]
+{{Multicol-end}}
 ==References==
 * Huber, G. L. & Gürtler, L. (2004) AQUAD Six. Manual for the Analysis of Qualitative data. Tübingen: Ingeborg Huber Verlag. [http://www.aquad.de/eng/manual.pdf Download]
-* Lyons, E. & Coyle, A. (2007) Analysing qualitative data in psychology. London: Sage.
 * Ragin, C. C. (1989) The Comparative Method: Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. [http://books.google.com/books?id=mZi17vherScC&printsec=frontcover&hl=es#v=onepage&q&f=false Google Books]
-* Richardson, J. T. E. (1996, Ed.) Handbook of qualitative research methods for psychology and the social sciences. Oxford: Blackwell.
-* Smith, J. A. (2008) Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. London: Sage.
 == External links ==
+*[http://www.aquad.de/ Aquad 6]
-*[http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Qualitative_psychological_research#Statistical_packages software listing on Psychology wikia]
-*[http://researchware.com ResearchWare -- developers of HyperRESEARCH QDA software]
-*[http://www.textanalysis.info/ Harald Klein's comprehensive guide to CAQDAS]
+[[Category:QDA software|*]]
+[[Category:Research methods]]
 [[Category:QDA software|*]]
 [[Category:Research methods]]