Working via Distance—Using Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software, Email, and Teleconferencing in Qualitative Content Analysis: Experiences, Pitfalls, and Practical Tips

Abstract

A plethora of publications investigates tele collaborations in educational contexts, but less knowledge is available on how research groups conduct small-scale research such as master’s or a PhD project via distance. In this case, we describe the challenges we encountered in a qualitative content analysis of focus group and interview data as a team of researchers who collaborated over distance. This case study describes how we used email, the Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS), MAXQDA (VERBI Software, 2017), and the telecommunication software Skype to plan and conduct the analysis of transcripts of focus groups and individual interviews. This case study has six sections. The “Project Overview and Context” section provides a project overview and the study context. The “Research Design, Practicalities, and Method in Action” section gives a description of the research design, research practicalities, and the method in action. The “Practical Lessons Learned” section is organized by learning outcomes and discusses the communication strategy, using a CAQDAS for data analysis, guidance on how to create a shared audit trail, implications for the safe transfer, and storage of research data. The “Conclusion” section contains some concluding comments. The “Classroom Discussion Questions” section provides classroom questions to stimulate critical discussion, and “Multiple Choice Quiz Questions” section consists of multiple choice questions. This case study is most useful for fellows and graduate students who are new to analyzing interview or focus group transcripts in international or distance collaborations using CAQDAS.