Welcome Winter 2009 Students!

Welcome to the Digital Tools for Qualitative Research Class Blog. I look forward to working with you all this coming quarter. Please feel free to peruse the blog at your leisure to familiarize yourself with course content (be sure to click through the archives on the right side of your screen). This course is developing as time goes on just as technology continues to be nebulous, so I have decided to keep the old posts from last class in order to keep the blog and the class more organic in nature. I hope to show you some things that will help you with your research and I hope to learn from you as well. Please let me know if any part of the course looks like it may be old hat to you and I will help you to design an alternative assignment for that portion. Here's to a productive quarter!

Sample Audio and Video Files

I am posting two sample audio files. The first, I recorded using software called Voxie ($1.99 on the iPhone AppStore), which has the capability to email the file as an .aif file, which I did.



The second is a recording I created using Audacity, which I then exported as a .wav file.



Posting audio on blogger is a little ridiculous, I suppose because they are afraid of people "sharing" music. Posting video is as simple as posting an image, but for audio, it turned out to be extremely difficult. I finally figured out a work-around though, so here it is. First, go to the "Edit Html" tab available when you are creating a new post. Decide where you want your audio to show up in your post and then copy and paste this code there.

<embed src="Paste audio link here" height="14" width="367" autoplay="false" loop="false"></embed>

Then (in a new window or tab), go to hotlinkfiles.com. You will need to create an account and upload your audio files. Once your audio files are uploaded and you can see them listed, select them by checking the box on the far right, then selecting "Get linking codes" from the drop down menu that initially reads "Selected file actions." On the next screen, the option "Just the direct URLs." Copy the link for the audio file that you want by right clicking (ctrl+click on macs) and selectiong "copy." Then you need to go back to your blogger site and replace the "Paste audio link here" from the code with the link you just copied from hotlinkfiles.com. You can then return to the "Compose" tab, finish your post and publish. This should work, but if not, posting audio is not a requirement. Also, here is the "how to" page created by blogger on embedding audio. It didn't work exactly like it said it would, but if you would like to invest some time into trying to figure out a different work-around that works for you, it's a good place to start. In the mean time, don't worry about posting your audio to blogger (especially if it is taking too long). Just post your sample video.

This video file is a portion of the interview assignment that I completed for 800. I imported the video using iMovie and then exported it as a mov file (CD-ROM quality). In blogger, click the "add video" while writing your post and point to the file on your computer or flashdrive. It's that easy (thankfully). It does take awhile to load though, so be patient.

Required?

Another question that I wanted to address. This course is not required, but strongly recommended. You may skip to certain parts of the course if you feel the earlier portions are not helpful to you or your research goals. Please let me know if this is the case and we can come up with alternative assignments.

Deleting a Blog

In response to Tom's question this week... If you would like to create multiple blogs to try out each platform and then delete the ones you do not want.

I found this link on deleting blogs in Blogger:
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=41387

This link is on deleting blogs in Wordpress:
http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/how-do-i-delete-my-wordpress-blog

And this link is on deleting livejournal blogs:
http://www.livejournal.com/legal/privacy.bml
(look under "Changing your Preferences and Personal Information")

Most of these also have information on deleting your account as a whole as well.

Course Information

Digital Tools for Qualitative Research
Graduate Level, 1 hour, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Tuesdays, 9-10:48am (1/4-2/1)
Thursdays, 5-6:48pm (2/10-3/10)
RA 009

Course Description
This is a five-week introductory course on computer technology tools available to assist in collecting, organizing and analyzing data for qualitative research.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of organizing data locally and externally, using digital notetaking tools, using tools to collaborate online, transcribing audio and video, as well as data analysis tools by exploring all the basic functions in a “hands on” approach. Through guidance, this course will help the researcher understand how these technologies can support their own research or project.

Relationship to other courses/curricula
Students currently enrolled in Ed P&L 800 are encouraged to attend.

Course Objectives
• Introduce students to the basic functions of technologies to assist in collecting, organizing and analyzing data during qualitative research.
• Provide students with the basic skills needed to complete the data analysis component of Ed P&L 967.
• Provide students with the basic skills to utilize computer technologies as they commence their own qualitative data research projects.

Course Requirements and Evaluation
75% required for “Satisfactory” evaluation
1. Attendance 25%
2. Class Participation 25%
3. Assignments 25%
4. Final Exam 25%

Special Needs
Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the Office for Disability Services at 614-292-3307 in room 150 Pomerene Hall to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Software/Hardware

For this course the following software will be loaded on to lab computers, but you may want to download/buy them yourself, so I am providing a list here.

1) Evernote (free download)
2) Zotero (free download)- keeps disappearing on lap computers
3) Audacity (free download)
4) MovieMaker (free download)
5) ExpressScribe (free download)
6) Transana (open source $50, but free trial available)
7) WEFT QDA (free download)

We will also be using the following hardware. Should you have these items and prefer your own personal equipment, feel free to bring yours to class. If you do not have your own, please visit classroom services to reserve yours for subsequent classes (*items with an asterisk are available for use by the university). I will bring a demo of each item. If you have a laptop, I highly recommend you bring it to class and use it there. It will save you time transferring work.

1) Flashdrive
2) Cell phone (optional- I will demonstrate with an iPhone)
3) Microphone* (only to enhance the microphone on your digital video camera or computer)
4) Digital Video Camera*
5) Tripod*
6) Digital Audio Recorder*

Session 5: CAQDAS

CAQDAS stands for Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software and is a great tool for qualitative research. CAQDAS has been criticized, however, for leaning toward the grounded theory approach and those who use it are encouraged to use it as a tool to help analyze more thoroughly rather than as analysis itself. You have read a document describing many commercially available CAQDAS and it is important to choose a software that helps you with your research rather than choosing one that is available and trying to make your research fit the tool. In this session, we will review the free program WEFT QDA. This program has all of the basic tools of the commercially available programs, but may not have certain features that you need for your research. This will, however, give you an idea of how CAQDAS works so that you can translate those skills to other programs, if you decide to use a different program.

We will use this manual as a guide to try to analyze the data we transcribed using ExpressScribe and Transana.

Final Exam- Add a final post to your blog in which you give feedback on the course including any tools you did not think were useful, tools you will definitely use and suggestions for additions. Also, feel free to add personal touches, such as a list of links that you have found during your work in this class or a profile which includes what you plan on researching. Please email me (angelone.1@osu.edu) when you have completed your final blog entry.

Session 4- Audio and Video Transcription

Now that you have recorded your audio or video, you will want a simple way to review your recordings, transcribe them, and code them to begin your analysis. Transana is a good, cheap tool (plus, there's a free trial download available) and I really wish I had known it existed when I was working on my Masters project. This program allows you to pause the video and transcribe as you review it. You can also attach notes or codes to portions of the video segment to make analysis easier later. If you only used audio, this software still works in the same way. There is also a free audio-only transcription software called ExpressScribe, which is free and simple to learn and use.

During this class, we will attempt to use the audio and video that we recorded in the previous class to practice transcription and analysis using ExpressScribe and Transana.

Assignment 4- In the next class, we will be looking at programs that analyze textual data, which can include transcripts created in Transana. There are many commercial programs available and it would be helpful for you to review the following website that summarizes them. When you are finished looking over the document, create a post to your blog in which you have looked further into one CAQDAS and provided more information on it.

Session 3- Audio and Video Recording

In your research, you may need to record an interview or an observation using either audio or video. There are two freely available and well known programs for this; however, please remember that there are many more that may suit your needs better.

Audacity- This is an audio recorder that can be used to record live audio if you connect a microphone to your computer, but it can also convert audio to a digital format if you choose to record your audio onto tapes. We will also be using a digital audio recorder that we can download directly to the computer. Be sure you export these recordings as a format that works with the transcription software (ExpressScribe) we will be using. wav and mp3 are safe for both windows and macs, but there are others.

MovieMaker- When recording video, will need to download it to your computer in order to save and analyze it. You may also want to edit it first, and this is what MovieMaker is good for. You can cut needless portions or add intros to portions to make them easier to find. This program is also helpful if you are planning to present your research. You can make a creative video using clips from your video and incorporating your voice, titles and transitions. This is basically a free version of Apple's iMovie, so if you are more familiar with Macintosh, the skills learned in iMovie are easily translated to MovieMaker. Be sure to save your movie in a format that is compatible with the transcription software we will be using (Transana). avi, mov (Mac) and wmv (Windows) are safe formats, but there are others. In addition, take a look at this website for tips on shooting quality video.

During this class, we will take sample videos (using a digital video camera- please bring your own (with a firewire cord or reserve from classroom services) and record sample audio (with Audacity and a digitial audio recorder- please bring your own (with a firewire cord or reserve from classroom services) so that we can practice using Audacity and MovieMaker and so that in the next class we can use this sample to practice transcribing. Please be sure to bring a flashdrive or external hard drive to class for this session so that you may save your files, since lab computers are wiped every night. Or, you can work directly on your laptop, in which case, please be sure to download Audacity and MovieMaker (both free) before class.

Assignment 3- In order to prepare for the next session, which is on taking the audio and video that you recorded and transcribing the information so that you can analyze it, please visit this website and watch all "Screencasts." These give an overview of the software Transana.

Session 2- Notetaking, Bibliographic Managers, Wikis, Blogs, Collaborative Writing, Concept Maps, Surveys

Some of the best tools on the Internet are free and very useful. These are a few of the ones that I sifted through and found to be most useful, but there are many more that can be found at the Digital Research Tools wiki and by searching on google.

Blogs:
1) Blogger- This free blog by google is the one used by me for this class. It allows you to post blog entries, favorite links, receive comments, etc. There are also a variety of settings.
2) Live Journal- Similar to blogger, but with some different features.
3) Wordpress- Similar to blogger, but with some different features.

Wikis:
1) PB Works- A wiki is a website that can be edited by anyone who views the site. PB Works (formerly PBWiki) has a free version that you can use to create your own wiki about your research. This is just one example of a free wiki. There are many available and they can be found by doing a google search.
2) Wikipedia- Probably the most famous wiki; it is an example of how the collective can refine information to make it more and more accurate over time.
3) DiRT- This is the Digital Research Tools wiki that I referenced at the beginning of this post. There are many tools available and the purpose of this wiki is to find new tools for digital research and collaborate to create a solid resource for qualitative researchers.

Collaborative Writing:
1) Google Docs- This is another free tool from Google. It is helpful when writing collaboratively for research. It allows you to begin either a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, Excel spreadsheet, etc. and then add other uses so that it can be edited by multiple users. It is also a useful place to store documents so that they can be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection.
2) Zoho- Another collaborative writing tool.
3) Writeboard- Another collaborative writing tool. Same basic features as Zoho.

Concept Maps
1) Mindmeister- A collaborative online mindmapping software. This could be used as you organize research or perhaps as a less textual way to interview participants.
2) VUE- Created by Tufts University, VUE is a concept map tool that must be downloaded to your computer, but is simple to use and could be helpful to organize your codes, research or participants in a concept map. Another similar tool that includes the ability to work collaboratively and was recommended by a few students is Cmap.
3) Wordle- This isn't a concept map, but I couldn't quite figure out where to put it. It's a handy little tool that allows you to copy and paste text and get a word cloud of the most frequently used words in that text and displays them by size.

Surveys
1) Survey Monkey- A free online survey tool. Functions are limited without a paying membership, but good for short surveys of participants and very easy to learn.
2) Zoomerang- This tool is very similar to survey monkey and has the same stipulations with membership.
3) Qualtrics- Another survey tool with more features and the capability to download date as csv files.

Notetaking/Biblographic Managers:
1) Evernote- This free tool allows you to store notes in one location. Notes can take the form of audio, video, photos, or text. This has a great mobile phone utility so that you can take pictures or record notes when you think of them and your phone then syncs with your account online. This website also has a helpful video that gives an overview of the program.
2) Zotero- This is another free tool that is an extension of the Firefox browser. It's a handy way to store documents, websites, and anything else you need for your research from the web. It also allows you to attach notes to anything that you store. This site also has a video overview of the program.
3) Endnote- I would be remiss to leave this tool out of the course, though it is pricey at $249.99 (update, thanks to Mike Chapman, it is offered at SBX at a student-rate of $80!). It is a widely-used bibliographic manager that can save your references and format them in any style you need. You can also take notes on each reference. Ohio State Libraries makes it easy to export a reference to Endnote.
4) RefWorks- This is another bibliographic manager available through Ohio State Libraries (this page has a link to the log-in). This description is from their quickstart guide: RefWorks is a web-based bibliography and database manager that allows you to create your own personal database by importing references from text files or online databases and other various sources. You can use these references in writing papers and automatically format the paper and the bibliography in seconds.
5) Mendeley- Similar to Zotero, but a download is required. However, this too allows you to highlight/annotate PDFs and then search annotations!
*Though learning to use these tools is somewhat time intensive, it can save you much tedious work in the future.

Assignment 2- Choose one of the blog tools above and begin your own blog based on your research. Then, select either one notetaking tool, bibliographic manager, wiki, collaborative writing tool, concept mapping tool or survey, try it out, and discuss on it in your first blog post. Please email the URL of your blog when you are finished.

Session 1- Nuts and Bolts

When using digital tools and information as part of your research, it is important to have some basic information in regards to organizing, storing, converting and encrypting files. It might also be helpful for you to know how to find research resources online.

Organizing files and folders:
1) Windows
2) Mac OSX (forum suggestions)

Storing/backing up files and folders on a:
1) Flashdrive (aka jumpdrive, thumbdrive, etc.)
2) External hard drive
3) DVD-R - This link is for burning CDs, but it is essentially the same process except that the computer you are using must have a DVD burner and you may also need to download burning software like Nero. DVDs are better for storing large amounts of information genereated from your research project because they can hold more information. There are also DVD-DLs, which are DVDs with a dual layer that can hold more information. You need to have a burner that supports this to be able to use them.
4) CD-R - Simple back up to CDs.
5) Dropbox - Online storage (2GB free), creates a file on your computer that is saved online and on any other device where you download Dropbox.

Common Media File Types and Conversion:
1) Documents- .doc, .rtf, .txt, .pdf
2) Photo- .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .tif
3) Video- .avi, .mov, .wmv, .mpg
4) Audio- .mp3, .wav, .wma
5) More Common File Extensions - and their meanings
6) The choice of file extensions is a part of some applications. Saving the file as the extension you need is the best option.
7) Sample Conversion Program- Be mindful that there are many of these programs and you may have to search google for one to fit your needs.

Encrypting Data to keep it safe:
What is encryption, and why use it? Encryption can also "minimize risk" in the IRB process when storing sensitive information about human subjects.
1) Windows
2) TrueCrypt- Free Open-Source Encryption for Mac, Windows or Linux (must download)
3) Mac OSX FileVault
4) Mac OSX using Disk Utility

Online Databases/Information Access:
1) OSU Libraries- This is your main point to access articles since you are currently a student. From this link, don't forget to select "Off-campus Sign-in" in order to have access to the database.
2) ERIC- ERIC provides unlimited access to more than 1.2 million bibliographic records of journal articles and other education-related materials, with hundreds of new records added twice weekly. If available, links to full text are included (from website).
3) Digital Libraries- A digital library is a library in which collections are stored in digital formats (as opposed to print, microform, or other media) and accessible by computers. The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks. A digital library is a type of information retrieval system (from wikipedia). Examples include the National Science Digital Library and the National Digital Library Program through the Library of Congress.
4) Google Reader- Less academic in nature, though still extremely efficient and helpful is Google Reader. Via RSS feeds, Google Reader constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content. There are an amazing number of sites with an RSS feed and Google Reader allows you to search these for content you may be interested in.
5) citeulike- This is a community where academics post and rate articles. You can create a library and search by keyword. There are also groups surrounding various research interests. I have found many articles here that I didn't find searching by the same tags on the OSU library site.

Assignment 1- Read "Going Digital and Staying Qualitative" (this link leads you to a place where you can download the pdf) and leave a comment to this post with your thoughts. Questions to consider... How will digital tools enhance your research? What digital tools are you most interested in learning? What are the potential dangers of digital tools in qualitative research? Click on "comments" below to post your thoughts (Please note, we used to read a different article, so comments from past classes might not answer these same questions).

"Rules" of Computer Use (to avoid utter frustration)

As I began to develop a course in digital tools useful for qualitative research, I realized how frustrating it can be to learn new programs. I also began to think how much more frustrating it may be if I didn't have much experience with computers. Keeping that in mind, I decided to put together a list of "rules" or things I have learned along the way that has helped me be less frustrated with the machine we love to hate. I am not a patient person by nature, so these skills were most definitely acquired, sort of like a taste for coffee.

1) Technology can take time, especially when learning or setting up something new. This seems counterintuitive because, well, technology is supposed to be the ultimate time saver. But, if we can come to terms with the fact that it takes time to save time, we will save ourselves a lot of stress. Rest assured that given enough time, things will eventually work, but it may not be as simple or quick as you might have anticipated.

2) You don't have to understand everything to figure something out. Learning how to use new tools on a computer can be daunting, but you do not have to be a computer scientist to be able to try new things and even get good at them. Oftentimes things seem more complicated than they really are. When all else fails try a google search. You can find forums with people having the same problem, manuals, tutorials, etc. It can be your greatest resource.

3) Don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's not that children are so much better at using the computer, it's that they are unafraid to make mistakes. Be like a kid and dive right in. If you make a mistake, it won't ruin everything and even if it does, you always learn something from mistakes. This is particularly true when using the computer.

4) There are multiple ways to do the same thing. When using a computer, you will soon find out (if you don't already know) that there is not one right way to do anything. You do not have to memorize how to complete different tasks. Once you acquire some of the skills (mostly through trial and error) of computer use, you can apply these skills to many new programs/environments on the computer. People often do the same thing in different ways depending on their comfort level. Don't be afraid to learn a new (possibly easier) way to do things you already know on the computer.

5) Technology is constantly evolving and changing. This is important to learn because few can keep up with the pace of change and even fewer can be aware of the breadth of information and tools available on the Internet. Books are published, even magazines, and are immediately out of date. This is the nature of technology today. That being said, it is imperative that we all collaborate and share emerging or little known technologies as we serendipitously find them.

6) Free is good, but sometimes it's worth it to shell out some money. There are many excellent resources free on the Internet. With the growing popularity of open source programs, free quality programs are more easily accessible than ever. However, depending on what you plan to use technology for, you may need to purchase a program or, more often, equipment that is necessary for the job. Most of these things can be borrowed or found in a lab, but sooner or later, it is better to have your own and if you get quality items, you can sell them for a decent price later to minimize the cost of upgrading (which will eventually be necessary).

That's all I have for now. I hope these rules help you as you wrestle through the many programs available to help you with your qualitative research. And, please feel free to comment or make additions to this post.

Hello World!

This blog will be an effort to organize websites, blogs, and digital tools useful to my research and classes. It will also be a place where I can share my thoughts on topics and interests that occur from class discussions and outside readings.