Skip to main content
Log in

The NUDIST qualitative data analysis system

  • Articles
  • Published:
Qualitative Sociology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Most computer approaches to qualitative data analysis have concentrated on coding and retrieval of text. This paper describes a research project which set out to support a range of methods for the analysis of unstructured data, with emphasis on the building and testing of grounded theory. It resulted in software whose innovations include: a) No limit to the number of coding categories and sub-categories, and no limit to the number of times a given text passage can be coded; b) The use of separate document and indexing databases, interrelated and of unlimited flexibility; c) Comprehensive hypermedia-like browsing tools for both document and indexing databases; d) Ability to search for words and lexical patterns occurring in text and to combine this with indexing of the text; e) Ability to handle off-line textual and non-textual data as well as on-line data; f) Ability to record textual comments in indexing categories — a memoing facility for emerging ideas and categories; g) Support and exploitation of hierarchical indexing systems; h) Mechanisms for creating new indexing categories out of existing ones, relating them to the data documents, and using them for further analyses. New goals of the project are to provide a number of artificial intelligence based information structuring and reasoning facilities which can be used to aid the organization and retrieval of qualitative data, and to extend the present capabilities of the software to express and test new ideas, concepts, generalizations and hypotheses about the data.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Drass, K. 1980 “The Analysis of Qualitative Data,”Urban Life. Vol 9: 332–353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillespie, G. W. 1986 “Using Word Processor Macros for Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis,”Qualitative Sociology. Vol 9: 283–291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles, M. B. and Huberman, M. 1984Qualitative Data Analysis. Beverly Hills: Sage

    Google Scholar 

  • Podolevsky, A. & McCarty, C. 1983 “Topical Sorting: a Technique for Computer Assisted Qualitative Analysis,”American Anthropologist. Vol 84: 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, L. & Richards, T. J. 1987 “Qualitative Data Analysis: can computers do it?,”Australian and New Zealand Journal of Sociology, Vol 23: 1, 23–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, L. & T. J. 1989a “The Impact of Computer Techniques for Qualitative Data Analysis,” La Trobe University, Department of Computer Science, Technical Report 6/89.

  • Richards, L. & T. J. 1989b “Qualitative Data: Computer Means to Analysis Goals,” La Trobe University, Department of Computer Science, Technical Report 7/89.

  • Richards, L. & Richards, T. J. 1991 “Computing in Qualitative Analysis: a Healthy Development?”Qualitative Health Research. Vol 1: 2, May 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, L. & Richards, T. J. (1991b) “The Transformation of Qualitative Method: Computational Paradigms and Research Processes,” in N. Fielding & R. Lee (eds.)Using Computers in Qualitative Analysis. Berkeley: Sage 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, L. 1990Nobody's Home: Dreams and Realities in a New Suburb. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A. 1987Qualitative Analysis for Social Scientists. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tesch, R. 1990Qualitative Research: Analysis Types and Software Tools. London: Falmer Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Richards, T., Richards, L. The NUDIST qualitative data analysis system. Qual Sociol 14, 307–324 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00989643

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00989643

Keywords

Navigation