5.0270 ETHNOGRAPH Summary (1/143)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Wed, 7 Aug 1991 20:57:21 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 5, No. 0270. Wednesday, 7 Aug 1991.

Date: Wed, 7 Aug 91 15:37 BST
From: STUART@VAX.OXFORD.AC.UK
Subject: Ethnograph

Dear HUMANIST users,

re my recent request concerning the program ETHNOGRAPH and other related
software. Many thanks for the overwhelming amount of replies I received
on the subject and I felt that it would be useful if I attempted to
summarise the information and circulate it accordingly. I have
structured the replies as follows:

1) Information on packages

2) References

3) Further questions/comments

4) Acknowledgements


1) Information on Packages
**************************

The Ethnograph - (IBM and compats) A program for fieldnote and interview
data storage, management, coding, and analysis. Described as one of the
"most substantial of the programs in terms of its procedures" (Tesch,
1990, p.11). Available from Qualitative Research Management, 73-425
Hilltop Road, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240; (619) 329-7026 ($150, +p&p).


Tally 3.0 -Displays many (all?) of the functions of Ethnograph, allowing
for the counting of codes aswell. $19.95, contact JBOWYER@UNOMA1.

HyperQual -(Macintosh Plus and up) Runs under HyperCard on the Mac.
Consequently, sorting, coding, exporting is comparatively easy using the
HyperCard interface. (see Padilla, 1989, p.70; and Tesch, 1990, p. 11).
($150 + p&p, available Qualitative Research Management, see above)

Text Analaysis Package (TAP) - (IBM and compats) Strength lies behind its
ability to allow access to coding straight away (see Tesch, 1990, pp.10-11).
($150 from Qualitative Research Management).

Textbase Alpha - (IBM and compats) Allows contruction of a data matrix
which can then be imported in SPSS. (Again $150 from QRM).

Qualpro - (IBM and compats) See Tesch (1990, p.10). Available from QRM
$125 + p&p.

HyperResearch - (Macintosh). No information in particular, but contact
Researchware, 20 Soren Street, Randolph, MA 02368-1945, USA; (617)
961-3909. See relevant article in _Qualitative Studies in Education_
3.2 by S Hesse-Biber et al (no title given I'm afraid).

Other packages which were mentioned include Anthropac, Simpak, Structure,
Aquad (German based), Qualog and Nudist. However, there was no
subsidiary information given and HUMANIST users may be able to provide
further details. M Lonkila (Lonkila@cc.helsinki.fi) referred to a
Finnish project entitled "Computers and Qualitative Data Analysis", and
project ATLAS in Berlin.


2) References
*************

The best discussions I have come across are the following:

R V Padilla's "HyperQual: a qualitative data analysis with the
Macintosh", _Qualitative Studies in Education_ 2.1 (1989), 70-3.

D W Read's "Anthropology and Computers: Promise and Potential", _Social
Science Computer Review_ 8.4 (Winter, 1990).

R Tesch's "Software for the computer-assisted analysis of text",
_Network_ 47 (May, 1990), 10-11.

_Qualitative Research: Analysis Types and Software Tools_ by R Tesch
(Falmer Press, 1990).

For general information see also the _Humanities Computing Yearbook
1989-90_, ed. I Lancashire (Clarendon Press, 1991), pp. 1, 7,187, 371,
393, 567.


3) Further Questions/Comments
*****************************

"I was fortunate enough to secure a laboratory equipment grant from NSF,
which has allowed us to establish an ethnographic data processing
laboratory here at the Northern Arizoan U. The lab consists of
micr-computer stations, which will soon be networked. Each station
includes a computer, interview transcription equipment...Some of the
stations also have digitizers and we have one optical character reader,
for inputting maps and secondary source material into ethnographic data
bases...We are in the process of testing different kinds of software
that will assist ethnographic data management and analysis. I'd be
happy to share some of the results and would be very interested in
hearing about other people's experiences."

( Robert T Trotter CMSRTT01@EARN.NAUVM)


"Personally I am very interested in exploring the possibilities of
Hypertext in Qualitative Data Analysis (Xerox has very interesting
advanced Hypertext systems called the Analyst and NoteCard). I am also
interested in studying the methodological background of so called
"Grounded Theory" style of analysis developed by Strauss & Glaser..."

( Markku Lonkila, University of Helsinki,
LONKILA@CC.HELSINKI.FI)


People interested in this area should also get in touch with the
Anthropological list ANTHRO-L@EARN.UBVM, and the CTI Centre for
Sociology and Social Policy who have their own Software Directory, and
plan to be holding two workshops on Qualitative Software in the "early
part of next year".
Contact:

Millsom Henry
CTI Centre for Sociology and Social Policy (and Politics)
Dept of Sociology and Social Policy
University of Stirling
Stirling
FK9 4LA
0786-67703
CTISOC@UK.AC.STIRLING


4) Acknowledgements
*******************

Thanks to the following for their help in compiling the above: Marcus
Banks, ISCA; David Zetlyn, ISCA; Diane Burton, Applelink; Millsom Henry,
CTI Centre for Sociology and Social Policy; Sarah Davnall, Manchester
Computing Centre.

Stuart Lee
Research Officer
CTI Centre for Textual Studies
Oxford University Computing Service
13 Banbury Road
Oxford
OX2 6NN
Tel:0865-273221
Fax:0865-273275
E-mail: STUART@UK.AC.OX.VAX