Qualrus is known as the “intelligent” qualitative analysis program because it learns your coding patterns and begins to offer active assistance with coding. It’s the only QDA program of it’s kind.

The program you see today is the result of rock-solid research by Edward Brent and Pawel Slusarz a few years back. Their seminal paper “Feeling the Beat: Intelligent Coding Advice from Metaknowledge in Qualitative Research” outlines their strategy for increasing the efficiency and quality of coding textual data by tapping into the great store of knowledge gathered by the coding process itself.

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Whether it’s an open ended survey, a comment in a suggestion box, call center notes, or online comments, in a few ways qualitative data is more useful than other quantitative measures.

As a researcher or analyst you probably know a thing or two about the value of qualitative data, but here is a refresher. And hey, maybe you’ll learn something new too.

• Unanticipated Information

One of the key differences between open-ended data and closed ended data is the responded has the freedom to respond in any fashion desired. Many times this leads the researcher to discover issues not explicitly anticipated before hand.

• Added Information

Qualitative data and more specifically with open-ended surveys a researcher can address more issues, including less common ones, without having to increase the number of questions asked.

• Greater Detail

Often times with qualitative data a researcher discovers fine grained detailed information that brings up issues in a new perspective that may not happen with quantitative measures.

• Encourages Expression of Concerns

Sometimes overlooked, how a respondent feels is often quite important to the type of response a researcher will receive. Open ended surveys allow respondents to express concerns in their own voice at lets them know someone is really listening.

• Demonstrates Responsiveness

Along the same lines, qualitative data demonstrates to the respondent a commitment to pay real attention to responders comments.

• Improves Quantitative Measures

Additionally and traditionally, qualitative data has worked well for discovering popular and new issues. These issues can then be incorporated later into future quantitative measures.

In just these few points you can see just how powerful qualitative data really is. In addition to a few quantitative metrics on the issues you’re looking at, you can get a true glimpse at your data and discover all the details that you’re looking for and even some you aren’t.

You may have heard the world is made up of atoms and molecules, but it’s really made up of stories. When you sit with an individual that’s been here, you can give quantitative data a qualitative overlay.

- William Turner