Qualitative research and the computer

Abstract

This paper explores some of the possibilities of using computers in qualitative research. The common association of computing with quantitative procedures in social science is a very narrow and restricted way of thinking about them. In fact, the predominant use of computers in social science is in text-processing and record-managing tasks, many of which are very similar to the kinds of clerical work which qualitative researchers have traditionally performed for themselves. Recent developments in computing technology have aroused interest in the possibility of using computing as a means to support qualitative research (e.g., Werner, 1982; Drass, 1980; Becker and Gordon, 1984). This paper is not concerned with the details of developing the necessary programs. Rather, it outlines what such a system might do for researchers, and why. The first section makes some general points about qualitative research and introduces the metaphor of the computer as a clerk for organizing, indexing, and retrieving notes. The second section presents a series of specific features which a working computer system might have. The third section discusses current prospects for the development of such systems.