Abstract:

In business and marketing, qualitative research is needed but rarely accepted. Data from focus group discussions, case histories or interviews requires qualitative analysis if the researcher is to discover new meanings in accounts or interpret discussions of issues or topics. Qualitative methods are, however, widely seen as entailing inefficient and time consuming data management, analysis processes that lack rigor, and reports that are unpersuasive. Early qualitative computing programs failed to solve these problems of time, rigor and credibility. New computing tools, however, deliver speed, efficiency, integration of qualitative and quantitative data, rigorous and sensitive analysis, and rich presentation of results.