MIĘDZY WIZERUNKIEM A PRAKTYKĄ – DIAGNOZA STANU WYKORZYSTANIA PROGRAMÓW KOMPUTEROWYCH WSPOMAGAJĄCYCH ANALIZĘ DANYCH JAKOŚCIOWYCH W POLSCE1
BETWEEN THE IMAGE AND PRACTICE: DIAGNOSIS OF THE USE OF COMPUTER ASSISTED QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS SOFTWARE IN POLAND

Summary/Abstract: Since the beginning in the ’80 there were reservations toward CAQDAS among qualitative researchers (e.g. Seale 2000: 154–5). Currently in Poland their use is more common, but not universal and the reservations remained. Taking this into consideration the Polish literature of the subject engage in continuous CAQDAS legitimizing practices instead of offering critics of their capabilities. The legitimizing strategies consist of 1) exploiting the grounded theory (GT) approach to theoretically support the CAQDA, 2) creating the image of an analytical “magic wand”, and 3) each time providing introductory detailed descriptions of software procedures which impedes the papers to develop beyond this basic description. Our paper is based on the pioneer meta-methodological research on practice and opinions of Polish researchers on qualitative analysis and especially computer based analysis. Our results include the diagnosis of a dual gap within Polish sociology in the area of CAQDAS. First one is between image of CAQDAS in the methodological literature and in the opinions of the researchers themselves. Second gap is between the image among the users and actual practices of their use. There is also inconsistency between opinions commonly repeated in the methodological literature about close links between CAQDAS and GT and the lack of functions essential for the analysis inspired/required by the GT in CAQDAS.

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