So as you all know from the readings last night, CAQDAS stand for “computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software” (try saying that 10 times fast). CAQDAS in particular caught my eye as I began to weigh the cost vs. benefits of doing a manual method of analysis vs. a computer-mediated method. Me being the all about tech guy that I am (though not as much as Karl admittedly), naturally the CAQDAS is what primarily caught my eye. The ease of use and amount of time saved in analysis and coding seems all the more worth the investment.
Yet it would seem many would argue for the manual method as a preference, due to the more intimate and intricate nature of “cut and paste” and turning your floor into a giant corkboard. Surprisingly, as I considered my options of anxiety-ridden analysis, I come to a shocking conclusion that though I am a fan of computer software, I would likely end up using manual myself.
Despite my shocking revelation, the part of this reading that really stuck me was the fact they have been using CASDAQ since the late 70s! I thought computers still filled whole rooms in the late 70s. I couldn’t even fathom what word-processing software and programming looked like at that period in history. So I decided to look it up, and alas, my search and efforts were found wonton. So I found other popular current software instead to share with the group and some intro videos.
QSR International (NVivo)
Strategically Communicating 
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