Rigor and flexibility in computer-based qualitative research: Introducing the Coding Analysis Toolkit

Abstract

Software to support qualitative research is both revered and reviled. Over the last few decades, users and skeptics have made competing claims about the utility, usability and ultimate impact of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software packages. This paper provides an overview of the debate and introduces a new web-based Coding Analysis Toolkit (CAT). It argues that knowledgeable, well-designed research using qualitative software is a pathway to increasing rigor and flexibility in research.