Pros+and+Cons

Pros and Cons of Computers in Qualitative Research:
 * Advantages || Disadvantages ||
 * Time saving || Making Notes || Confidentiality ||
 * Accountability || Writing up || Analysis may be driven by software program ||
 * Print drafts to help summarize data || Conclusion drawing and verification || Printed drafts may make researcher think they are finished ||
 * Sorting || Storage || Data can be lost ||
 * Referencing || Search & Retrieve || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Data out of context ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Counting || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Data "linking" || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Coding || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Memoing || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Displaying data || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Content analysis || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Word processing || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Editing || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Databases || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Theory building || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Spreadsheets || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Report writing || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Graphics || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Graphic mapping || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Consistency || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Representation || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Speed || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;">Consolidation || <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohansifontfamily: Calibri;"> ||

Warnings: “The products of computer-assisted analysis are only as good as the data, the thinking, and the level of care that went into them.” (Glesne & Peshkin, 1992)

Charmaz (2000) about grounded theory and computers: Yvonna Lincoln (personal communication, August 21, 1998) asks her students, “Why would you want to engage in work that connects you to the deepest part of human existence and then turn it over to a machine to ‘mediate’?” Part of interpretive work is gaining a sense of the whole—the whole interview, the whole story, the whole body of data. No matter how helpful computer programs may prove for managing the parts, we can see only their fragments on the screen. (520)