Over at Tom H. C. Anderson’s Next Generation Market Research blog they are having a great internet meme competition for marketing research. A lot of the submissions have been based around this idea of quantitative research vs. qualitative research. I thought this submission was particularly charming (i.e. the Pinky vs. the Brain images). Click the image above to see larger size and detail.

If you ask me, I’m more of a quantitative guy, but many Idea Works employees are more on the right side. We think the dual-brained nature of our employees help us make great quant/qual hybrid text analysis tools.

What do our readers say? Where do you lie on the quantitative/qualitative spectrum? Leave a comment here and tell us, but don’t forget to check out Tom’s blog and leave a comment there too.

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.

While computers offer a vast improvement over coding data by hand, the coding process isn’t eagerly anticipated by most researchers because it still requires vast manual effort:

In general, the work required for the coder for the second segment to be coded, or even the thousandth segment to be coded, is as great as it was for the first segment….The level of knowledge and the attention to detail required of the coder is as great or greater near the end of the project as it was at the beginning. As a result, coding is widely recognized to be a tedious, detailed, repetitive, even mind-numbing task.

Brent and Slusarz realized the metaknowledge gathered throughout the coding process could reduce the burden to researchers:

Between the time when the first segment is coded and the time when the last code of the project is entered, the researcher has amassed a vast database of coded data, typically including hundreds or even thousands of segments of text (or other materials)….The patterns of data that result have a clear structure, a “rhythm” if you will, that provides the underlying “beat” within which the “melody” of codes is experienced. Together, these diverse elements of knowledge about the data (the metaknowledge) provide a surprisingly informative set of cues as to what codes might be expected for any segment.

The authors go on to show how intelligent computational strategies—case-based reasoning, natural-language generation, semantic networks, and production rules—can take advantage of the knowledge implicit in coded information in qualitative databases to help code additional data.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Qualrus utilizes intelligent computational strategies to make coding easier, check out the full article: Feeling the Beat: Intelligent Coding Advice from Metaknowledge in Qualitative Research.

(Originally published in Social Science Computer Review by Sage Publications)

Qualrus gives you the ability to attach memo fields to the project, each source, each segment, each code, each link, each view, and each script. Adding a memo to the project, source, segment or code are the most common actions by Qualrus users, so we’ll cover that functionally in this walk-through.

To add a memo to a project

1. Right-click the mouse on the name of your project found in the Project Overview pane of the Qualrus main screen (the folder icon in the upper left of the screen).
2. Select “Memo” from the popup menu. This opens a yellow popup window with a text field in which you can enter the memo.
3. When you finish entering your memo, simple close the popup window. The memo will save automatically.

To add a memo to a source

1. With your source open in the center pane of the Qualrus main screen, right-click the mouse anyway in your source.
2. Select “Memo > Source” from the popup menu. This opens a yellow popup window with a text field in which you can enter the memo.
3. When you finish entering your memo, simple close the popup window. The memo will save automatically.

To add a memo to a segment

1. Click on the name of a code in the right pane of the Qualrus main screen to highlight the segment, then right-click the highlighted text.
2. Select “Memo (segment)” from the popup menu. This opens a yellow popup window with a text field in which you can enter the memo.
3. When you finish entering your memo, simple close the popup window. The memo will save automatically.
4. A yellow icon will appear near the code names in the right pane of the Qualrus main screen to indicate a memo is attached to that segment.

To add a memo to a code

1. Right-click on the name of a code in the right pane of the Qualrus main screen.
2. Select “Code Memo” from the popup menu. This opens a yellow popup window with a text field in which you can enter the memo.
3. When you finish entering your memo, simple close the popup window. The memo will save automatically.
4. You can also add memos to codes in the Code Editor. With a code highlighted, click the “Write a memo” button (the last icon on the right).

Memos for all objects work in much the same way. If you open the memo field for the same object later, you will see your previous menu that can be edited or deleted as you like. If you delete an object, its memo will be deleted as well.

Searching and Retrieving Memos

The information in memos can also be searched, retrieved, viewed, reported, and edited later as desired. This permits researchers to easily search for theoretical memos to assist in theory building and to provide a clear audit trail for theoretical development.

Segment memos

Retrieving memos attached to segments can be done in QTools Search.

1. Build a search designed to find each “segment” from “Project” then click the “Add” button.
2. Select the “Memo” radio button and click submit to close the popup window.
3. Click Submit to launch the search of all segments in your project with memos.
4. You may also want to only search for memos containing certain text. You can add these search parameters next to the “Memo” radio button in the popup window. (For example, you could search for all memos containing the phrase “This section is not done yet” and then show the objects attached to those memos.)

Project, Source and Code memos

Memos attached to projects, sources or codes can be retrieved by following the same process you used to add the memo. Alternately, you can run a simple script to retrieve all memos attached to a certain type of object.

1. Go to “Editors > Scripts” and click “New” to run a new script.
2. Paste in the appropriate script and click “Submit”.
3. For Project memos: writeln(Project.Memo)
4. For Source memos: forEach source in Project.Sources write(source.Memo)
5. For Code memos: ForEach code in Project.Codes writeln(code.Memo)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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.

Designed to be used in the field, the program allows individuals to quickly describe their concerns about a friend or family member. Using an algorithm based on a meta analysis of existing literature of behavioral indicators of PTSD, the program returns an assessment summary suggesting actions steps to the user.

As the software development subcontractors for the project, our task was to develop an easy-to-use interface and workflow, then implement the expert system strategies necessary to provide accurate recommendations.

The project required us to build a desktop application that might also need to be used on the web, so we developed our tool in Adobe Air. After a few different iterations and focus group testing, we settled on a simple linear navigation structure – the right arrow moves you forward and the left arrow moves back.

It’s amazing how the best ideas usually turn out to be so simple.

Before getting to any specific questions, users are able to type their concerns into a text box (if they’re connected to the internet). This allows the user to express themselves right from the start, getting to the most important issues immediately.

It’s kind of like your doctor asking, “So, how are you feeling today?”.

Based on an extensive knowledgebase grounded in the literature, the unstructured text submitted by the user is analyzed for relevant content. Then, the program automatically answers any applicable multiple choice questions.

Of course, we show the user what questions were answered by their free-text entry and give them the opportunity to change their response.

Users continue through 4 sets of simple yes/no questions, things like: “Does your friend or relative seem to be distant or removed from others?” If they answer Yes, they must indicate the severity on a scale of 1 to 5. Users can answer as many or as few questions as they want.

Only 17 questions later (the entire process typically takes under 5 minutes), PAS provides a recommendation and explains which factors contributed to the assessment. While the feedback is not an official diagnosis, it give military personnel practical advice about how to respond, or what actions are appropriate.

Users can email the report to their supervisor, or save it to their computer for future reference. To ensure privacy issues don’t prevent someone from using the tool, none of the answers are stored.

The tool is simple to use and gives military personnel a quick, anonymous method of expressing their concerns and receiving advice.

Idea Works developers, Matt and Kara, did a fantastic job building a solid, user-friendly program and our friends at Lincoln are currently shopping it around to different groups. We hope to see widespread adoption soon.

For information about using the Peer Advising System, please contact the Center for Suicide Prevention Research and Studies at 573.681.5225 or CSPRS{at}lincoln{dot}edu.

The web is bursting with instructors passionate about finding new ways to help their students. We’ve done our best to gather resources, interview interesting people, suggest tips for better teaching and learning, and encourage new ideas and techniques.

In case you missed it, here are some of the most popular posts from the last few months:

• Lesson #1 in Student Engagement – Understand Your Students
  Kicking off our popular 7-part series, this article advises instructors to learn more about their students, then stay focused on teaching in a way that will engage the class. You can also read the entire series, or download the Student Engagement Ebook.
• 10 People in #highered Worth Following
  Educators love exchanging ideas on Twitter. Here are some of our favorites to follow.
• Get Your Students to Speak Up During Class
  How do you get your students to wake up and speak up during class? This post shares a few tips to help you inspire your students to volunteer their thoughts and answers, without making it terribly painful.
• Using Color in the Classroom
  An interesting look at how color psychology can be applied to the classroom.

Primarily, structure is imposed on your data through the coding process. Qualrus’s code editor, along with its powerful Boolean searches and built-in QTools provide quick access to filtered and sorted information.

But there’s another way Qualrus assists with your data analysis that most people ignore: visualization.

Graphical views introduce a welcome change of pace from text-only reports and provide fresh perspective on your developing theory. Analyzing visual representations of data can help advance your thinking on a particular concept or the project as a whole.

Many of us already think visually when trying to define the relationships between various concepts. Like a football coach drawing up a new play, graphical views get the idea in your head down on paper, where you (and your team) can assess, critique and tweak it.

The Views Editor in Qualrus provides a dead simple method of generating visual network views based on your coding scheme. You can open the Views Editor by going to Editors » Views, or by double-clicking “Views” on the Project Tree. Hit “New” to create and save a new graphical view.

As a project develops, the number of codes and links may increase to a level that is difficult to visualize, so Qualrus provides two types of network views: the Star View and the Network View.

The Star View is designed to focus on a single code at a time and display all of the direct links between that "in focus" code and any other codes. The Network View is similar to the Star View, except there is no central code, all codes are equal. Unlike the Star View, in the Network View the codes can be any number of links chained together.

In Star View, just choose a code from the drop down list to display direct links between that code and any other code in the knowledge base.

With the Network View, you can choose any number of codes to add to the View. Once the codes appear in your View, click a code then “Extend” to bring up a list of all the links attached to this code.

Views are automatically saved, but you may want to rename them using the “Rename” button. Also note that you can save your View as an image file by going to File » Save To » File.

That’s really all there is to it!  You can find more detailed instructions on pages 131-135 in the Qualrus Manual.

On your next project, don’t forget to regularly generate some Qualrus Views for a fresh perspective on your evolving theory.

I’m not a natural runner, but I’ve gotten in the habit of jogging 2-3 miles around the track three times a week. It keeps me healthy and — once I got over the initial pain — it has become addictive.

Still, I’m no Ironman (no, not the superhero).

After a mile or two, my body wants to call it quits. I start shuffling my legs instead of taking long, efficient strides. My head sags. My feet begin flailing outward. My breathing becomes irregular and my back hunches up.

No, I’m not having a stroke — I’m just tired.

When my body is exhausted, I’ve found that I need to pay special attention to my form. Too easily, my tired body becomes a clumsy body. Clumsy movements are inefficient, and only tire me out more quickly.

So, down the stretch, I begin focusing on my running posture and breathing.

I keep my head upright and make sure to relax my shoulders and arms. I ensure my legs are compact, making efficient strides. I begin to slow my breathing, inhaling and exhaling in a deep, intentional rhythm.

Concentrating on my form doesn’t guarantee I’ll be in the Boston Marathon next year, but it gives me the best chance to complete my goal for the day and finish the run feeling strong.

I’ve found that a similar strategy works well when solving a design problem.

Say you’re designing a new web site. If you’re a competent designer, the fundamentals come naturally, and you begin the project as you should: articulating the goals of the project, letting form follow function, adhering to basic design principles like unity, balance, contrast and dominance.

But as a project drags on, even the best of us can succumb to exhaustion. You’re tired of staring at the same site over and over. You’re annoyed by your client’s barrage of uniformed suggestions. You just want to be done so you can move on to the next, more exciting project.

When you’re tired, your form slips.

With design, you know you’re getting tired when you resort to trial-and-error, or when you start creating elements without a goal in mind, or when you build something that any 8th grade art student could improve.

It’s time to double your focus on form. Stop, regroup, consider the fundamentals and let your natural talent take over.

Like a runner, designers should be in a state of constant self-assessment: How am I feeling? Am I doing my best work? What needs to change to give myself the greatest chance to succeed? How is my pace? My form?

Your attitude at the beginning of a project is often different than during those final laps. Pay attention to these changes and adjust as necessary.

When the project is finished, you’ll know you ran a good race.

Importing project elements also allows you to reuse work you’ve completed on previous projects. A coding scheme developed for a project involving the analysis of presidential inaugural addresses might turn out to be useful for another project classifying media election coverage.

Qualrus makes it easy to import components from other projects such as codes, scripts and link types, or completely merge two projects into one.

Step 1: Prepare your “donor” project

Your “donor” project contains the components you’re interested in merging with your master project. In order to correctly pull information from this project, you should make sure it is working properly.

The absolute best way to get your donor project ready to is open it up and export it. Go up to File > Export > All project files. This creates a complete working copy of your project and ensures it’s ready for importing.

Step 2: Open Master project and start the Import

With your donor project ready to go, close it and open your Master project (this is the project you ultimately want to contain the combined information).

Select File > Import > …from another project

You will see a window in which you can select the Qualrus project file (*.IQP) to merge with the current project. Select your donor project and click Open.

Step 3: Choose import options

The import window gives you full control over which components you want to import.

The defaults tab allows you to select the types of components you wish to import. The other tabs (Codes, Links, Sources, Segments, Scripts) allow you to designate specific components themselves.

In most cases, you’ll want to import everything, but this is up to you.

This import feature has a built-in validation checking routine to make sure that when important each component all of the other components required for it are also imported. For example, if we wish to import a link between two codes X and Y then we must have code X and code Y in the project.

Keep in mind that if you have an identical source in both your donor and master project that you want to be treated as a single source, the source must have an identical name in each project. Otherwise, Qualrus will treat them as two different sources.

Step 4: Don’t disable verification

When you click OK, Qualrus displays a warning that verification to assure consistency may take some time and gives us the option of turning off verification.

Verification is very important to assure that the knowledge base is consistent, so let’s leave it on by selecting “No” when asked if we want to turn it off.

(Modern computers can handle this without taking too much time.)

Step 5: Double-check and save

When the import is finished, you should see the revised project displayed in the main Qualrus window.

Depending on which components you imported, the project can include sources from the other project, all of its codes, and even the assignments of codes to specific segments.

Double check everything for accuracy and save your new merged project.