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From: "r.s.kelly" <r.s.kelly@uclan.ac.uk>
To: MedSoc@csf.colorado.edu
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 15:52:55 GMT+0
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Subject: Re: Software for Qualitative Data
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Message-ID: <43F6866A2D@mail-gw.uclan.ac.uk>
Virginia writes:

"What are your favorite software packages for managing qualitative 
data?"


This depends on what you have for data. I work with transcipts of 
nurses' talk and find that, like early botanists, there is nothing 
better than get up to your knees in the data and searching for the 
specimens. The familiarity with the 'data' is, for me, the quality 
that makes qualitative research something different from doing 
surveys and experiments and computer processing numbers and codes.

All data processing devices "enhance" the data in some way, that is 
structure or corrupt it, and thus pervert it validity as your view of 
the world. Leave the computer staff alone and get involved with your 
own "data". 

Russell

Russell Kelly
Department of Health Studies
University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR1 2HE, UK
E-Mail ; R.S.Kelly@UCLAN.ac.uk
Fax: UK - (0)1772 - 892974
Tel: UK - (0)1772 - 893414