Draft:QualCoder

QualCoder is a free open-source, qualitative data analysis software created by Colin Curtain in January 2019. It allows for qualitative data analysis of text, images, audio, and video. QualCoder is based on Python programming language and is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is inspired by and draws from the RQDA R package.

QualCoder has been discussed in the American Journal of Qualitative Research, and has been recognized in university libraries.

Overview
QualCoder is sometimes described as Python alternative to RQDA, however, it provides more options related to image, audio, and video analysis. It allows for the construction of semantic networks of codes and categories that have emerged in the analysis. Technically, the codes and categories constitute ‘nodes’ of the semantic network insofar as these two circumstances occur:

a. The same codes are used to ‘mark’ different interview pieces;

b. Different codes are used to mark the same pieces of interview."

The QualCoder functionalities include, e.g.


 * text coding,
 * image coding,
 * audio coding,
 * video coding,
 * creating of cases,
 * creating of attributes,
 * writing memos,
 * writing journal notes,
 * coding reports,
 * node graph creation,
 * file and code summaries,
 * coding comparison,
 * code relations analysis,
 * code frequencies analysis,
 * code comparison by file,
 * generation of charts,
 * SQL statements,
 * merging projects,
 * importing surveys.

QualCoder uses the SQLite data structure. It implemented exportation and importation of codebook through the REFI-QDA format. It also implemented export and import of whole research project through this format, however, it was not fully tested. It also supports manipulations to the graph and export the Results matrix.

Research use
QualCoder was used in a number of research published in peer-reviewed journals, including research on Functional Communities, mental health services, English language learners’ communicative repertoires, populist discourse, and pharmacists experience. It is also used in the developing of master's theses   and PhD dissertations.

Strengths of QualCoder include that it is free to use and therefore available to researchers with limited funding, while still being more advanced in functionality compared to other free open-source CAQDAS such as Taguette. A weakness is the lack of online collaboration options since QualCoder is only available as a desktop application.