Qualitative and Mixed Methods Data Analysis with Dedoose

While researchers can and do analyze qualitative data by hand or with the use of basic computer software like word processing programs and spreadsheets, most qualitative projects involving a moderate to large volume of data today do rely on qualitative data analysis software packages. There are a variety of such packages, all with different strengths and limitations, and those who intend to perform qualitative data analysis regularly as part of their research or professional responsibilities should explore the options to find out which program is the best fit for their research style and priorities. This text features Dedoose. To get started with Dedoose, visit https://dedoose.com/ — the website has helpful guides, an explanation of pricing, and other resources. Users can sign up for an account at https://dedoose.com/signup (there are instructions about a student discount there as well) and can download the software at https://www.dedoose.com/resources/articledetail/dedoose-desktop-app for Windows, Mac, Chromebook, or Linux. Note there is both a regular installation and a “portable” option for Windows users who do not have administrative privileges. Unfortunately, Dedoose is not screenreader compliant at the time of this writing and has some limitations in terms of screen zoom applications.

The chapters here on how to use Dedoose include screenshots from a dataset created by students in the Sociology 404 class in Spring 2020, just before the onslaught of COVID. Students were asked to write a paragraph about their first day on campus here at Rhode Island College and answer a few questions about their graduation year, living arrangements, gender, major, and what they had been doing before coming to our campus. Students then did the work, collectively, of developing a code tree and coding the excerpts. Care has been taken to keep all of their participation, both their responses to the writing prompt and their work on the project, confidential, but let me take this moment to express my deepest appreciation for their excellent work and their contributions, which also helped inspire me to write this book.