Www.atlasti.com ATLAS.ti: The Qualitative Data Analysis Workbench An overview Ricardo B. Contreras,...

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ATLAS.ti: The Qualitative Data Analysis WorkbenchAn overview

Ricardo B. Contreras, PhDApplied cultural anthropologistDirector of the ATLAS.ti Training CenterGreenville, North Carolina, United [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

www.atlasti.com

The Company

• Based in Berlin, Germany.

• First commercial release in 1993.

• Currently in release 7 (June 2012).

• Native Mac version to be released in mid 2014.

© 2012 Ricardo B. Contreras, PhD

www.atlasti.com

What is ATLAS.ti?

• Software that assists in the process of qualitatively analyzing research data.

• Data collected through unstructured or semi-structured methods of data collection.

• The researcher is in control of the analysis process.


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Ultimate Purpose of Using ATLAS.ti in Analysis• To facilitate the process of analysis and interpretation of

data collected through unstructured and semi-structured methods of data collection.

• To allow for evidence-based research: findings, theses, and interpretations grounded in the evidence.


Original Text, Participants’

Voices

Final Text,Interpretative

Text

Description

AnalysisInterpretation

Note: This figure was inspired by Wolcott, Harry F. 1994. “Transforming Qualitative Data: Description, Analysis, and Interpretation”. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

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Properties of the ATLAS.ti Analysis Process

Multiple methods of

data collection

Closeness to the point of

view of participant

The researcher is in control

The context is always present

Ample space for serendipity


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The Qualitative Analysis Iterative Cycle in ATLAS.ti


Tools to Describe Participants’

Accounts from Data Collected through

Multiple Methods of Data Collection

Tools to Analyze Content of

Accounts: Compare, Relate, Connect,

Examine in Context, Count

Tools to Produce Holistic

Representations of Findings Grounded in

the Evidence

Outputs

• Reports in Rich Text Format, PDF, and XML

• Matrices and tables in Excel

• Conceptual networks in graphic formats

• HTML Reports

• SPSS file of entire project

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The Deductive-Inductive Dialogue in ATLAS.ti


Deductive

Inductive

You are not forced into a deductive or an inductive approach. The decision as to what approach to take is a methodological one. However, commonly people combine both: start with a set of a priori concepts (codes), as a general framework, but leave enough space for discovery in the form of emergent concepts (codes).

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The Hermeneutic Unit or Project


HU

PDs

Quotes

Codes

Memos

Families

Networks

• The data analysis workbench

• Container that includes the sources of information and all the analytical work

• A file with the extension “hpr7”

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Primary Documents: Sources of Information


Text

Word

RTF

PDF

Excel

TXT

Etc.

Graphic

JPEG

PNG

GIF

Etc.

Multimedia

MPEG-2, MPG

WMV

AVI

MP4

WAV

Etc.

Google Earth

The multiple file formats accepted allows for rich triangulation.

HU

PDs

Quotes

Codes

Memos

Families

Networks

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Primary Documents: Loading Multiple Primary Documents Simultaneously• Loading up to four documents simultaneously.

• Allows to conduct rich comparative analysis (e.g., coding two or more interviews conducted at different points in time).

• Allows for rich transcription of audio or video documents.


HU

PDs

Quotes

Codes

Memos

Families

Networks

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Primary Documents: Multimedia and Google Earth


HU

PDs

Quotes

Codes

Memos

Families

Networks

Video frame showing quotations and codes on the margin

Audio primary document showing quotations and codes on the margin

Google Earth primary document showing quotation named “My house”

Graphic primary document showing quotations and codes on the margin

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Quotations

• Segments of the text selected by researcher or automatically (auto-coding).

• Quotations can be created in all kinds of primary documents. • The quotation constitutes the basic unit of the analysis project. They

can be linked to other objects, they can be left unlinked, they can be described in-depth, and their linkages can be visualized as rich graphic representations.


HU

PDs

Quotes

Codes

Memos

Families

Networks

Quotations always shown in context

Codes that are linked to quotations show on margin

Interactive list of quotations shown in the “Quotation Manager”, each one identified by unique ID

“Comment” space where each quotation can be described

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Codes

• Concepts that can either derive from external frameworks (deductively created) or emerge from the text (inductively created).

• Codes can be linked to quotations, memos, arranged in families, and represented in networks. They can also be left alone, unlinked.


HU

PDs

Quotes

Codes

Memos

Families

Networks

Codes shown on an optional side panel

Codes that are linked to quotations shown on the margin

Codes shown in the “Code Manager” specifying how grounded in the evidence they are, how connected they are to other codes (density), their authors, and their definitions.

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Memos

• Spaces for reflection, analysis, integration, and interpretation.• Spaces where to make sense of the data.• Writing memos should accompany the process of coding.• Memos can be linked to quotations, codes, and other memos.• If memos are systematically linked to supporting quotations, it

follows that the reflections, analyses, and interpretations contained in them are grounded in evidence.


HU

PDs

Quotes

Codes

Memos

Families

Networks

Memo that is linked to quotation is shown on the margin

Memos shown in “Memo Manager”. This shows how grounded the memo is in the evidence (number of quotations linked to it)

The memo text

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Families

• Grouping of primary documents, codes, and memos according to shared characteristics.

• Families allow for comparison across cases, conceptual categories, themes, etc.


HU

PDs

Quotes

Codes

Memos

Families

Networks

Network view of primary document family

Network view of memo family

Network view of code family

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Networks


Weak-link NetworkLinkages between elements created through the normal analytical process.

Strong-link NetworkGraphical representations of a semantic type linking codes to codes and quotations to quotations through specific meanings. Researcher’s understanding of the problem.

HU

PDs

Quotes

Codes

Memos

Families

Networks

Weak link network showing quotations linked to codes as well as the primary document from which some of the quotations originate

Code-to-code network showing semantic relations between codes

Quotation-to-quotation network (hyperlinks) showing semantic relations between quotations

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The Qualitative Analysis Iterative Cycle in ATLAS.ti


Tools to Describe Participants’

Accounts from Data Collected through

Multiple Methods of Data Collection

Tools to Analyze Content of

Accounts: Compare, Relate, Connect,

Examine in Context, Count

Tools to Produce Holistic

Representations of Findings Grounded in

the Evidence

Outputs

• Reports in Rich Text Format, PDF, and XML

• Matrices and tables in Excel

• Conceptual networks in graphic formats

• HTML Reports

• SPSS file of entire project

www.atlasti.com

Outputs

Qualitative Quantitative


The co-occurrence table showing number of co-occurrences between codes

The Query Tool, which produces qualitative outputs through Boolean, Semantic, and Proximity operators

Rich Text Format written report produced through the Query Tool

Excel graph with data from the Co-occurrence table. All quantitative reports can be exported into Excel

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Exporting in Different Formats

XML, HTML, SPSS, EXCEL, RTF, PDF, PNG, etc.


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Team Work


Paul

Mary + Peter

Susan + Paul

Final HU

Mary

Peter

Susan

BaseHU

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Project Management: The Copy Bundle Function

• If working with documents that have been “added” (version 7) or “assigned” (version 6.2) into the project, it is necessary to create back-up files using the Copy Bundle function.

• Save the Copy Bundle file in an external drive.• Use the Copy Bundle function to back-up and to migrate the

project between computers.A. Create Bundle B. Save Bundle


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Document Management in Version 6.2

• Create a new folder in a location of your preference in Windows (e.g., desktop, My Documents, shared drive, server). Name it with the name of your project.

• Copy all your source document files into this folder.• Save the HU (extension “hpr6”) inside of the same folder.


Project A

.doc .docx .pdf .rtf .jpg .wmv, etc.

HU

.doc .docx .pdf

.rtf .jpg .wmv, etc.

.doc .docx .pdf

.rtf .jpg .wmv, etc.

Project B HU

The HU file (extension ‘hpr’) saved inside of the project folder together with

the source documents.

The HU file (extension ‘hpr’) saved inside of the projectfolder but not inside of the individual sub-folders

where the source documents are stored.

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Support Resources

Free• Product support by email ([email protected]). It does not

expire.• Weekly introductory webinars (

www.atlasti.com/webinars.html)• Bi-weekly webinars on special applications (

www.atlasti.com/webinars.html)• Youtube channel with video tutorials (

www.youtube.com/user/atlasti01) • Quick Tour manual (• Full reference guidePaid• Six-hour workshops through web-conferencing• Two-day face-to-face workshops in the United States,

Canada, and Europe• Two-day on-site workshops

• To learn ATLAS.ti on your own (http://

www.atlasti.com/download.html):– Quick tour– Chapters of the manual (at the very least):

• Data management• Creating, opening, and saving HU• Setting up a new project• Project back-up and transfer

• To learn ATLAS.ti under the guidance of an experienced instructor (www.atlasti.com/training.html): – Online 6-hour workshops through web-conferencing– Face-to-face 2-day workshops– On-site 2-day workshops (on-demand)

• Additional guidance• Book by Susanne Friese “Qualitative Analysis with ATLAS.ti”. London:

Sage, 2012.• Companion website of the book:

http://www.quarc.de/qualitative-data-analysis-with-atlasti/companion-website.html

• Multiple videos in Youtube.



http://www.atlasti.com/webinars.html

http://www.atlasti.com/webinars.html

http://www.youtube.com/user/atlasti01

http://www.atlasti.com/download.html



http://www.atlasti.com/training.html



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Licensing

• Three categories: – Student– Educational– Commercial

• Student– Two-year– Semester– Fully functional

• Educational and commercial– Single-user: perpetual– Multi-user (5 to 80):

• Perpetual• Yearly lease


www.atlasti.com

Thank you!ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH

Hardenbergstr. 7

D-10623 Berlin

Germany

[email protected]



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