Coding Using NVivo - Assignment Example

It was a whole new experience switching from the manual use of data analysis to digitized data analysis. Indeed for the fact that qualitative research makes use of non-numerical and unstructured data (Merriam, 2009), it was highly impossible to think of single software that could analyze data from as wide range of topical areas as possible. Using the NVivo was also another way of developing my personal skills as far as information and communication technology is concerned. Even more, my analytical skills were deepened because the software opens the researcher up to the critical analysis of as many sources of data that relate to the researcher’s topic as possible (Patton, 2002).

Switching from the hand coding technique, which is more of a manual system of data analysis to the use of the more digitized NVivo certainly comes with a number of challenges. In the first place, the processes that the researcher has to go through to achieve reliable analysis of data is quite cumbersome as compared to the hand coding method, which is more straight forward and up to the point (Maxwell, 2005). For example the researcher is obliged to go through processes such as the application of fine tools, description of detailed analysis before the use of qualitative modeling (School of Human & Health Sciences, 2009).

What is more, the user ought to have an understanding of the many different features of the software and this was not easy to achieve. Even though the tools help in guaranteeing reliability and validity, it could also serve as means of undermining the same if the researcher is not very familiar with the tools. For most researchers, the reason why they avoid the use of qualitative research method is the difficulty associated with achieving reliability and validity when this method this used (Miles and Huberman, 1994).

This is because for most available research designs from which the researcher may select from, the use of randomized sampling of respondents is minimized. Meanwhile, much of the attainment of validity and reliability rests with random sampling. To this end, the introduction of the NVivo to guarantee validity and reliability is a major advantage and brings so much ease to researchers. Even more, there becomes an empirical status attached to the analysis that is undertaken (Gibson and Brown, 2009).

Indeed apart from the use of such digitized software, researchers would have a field day on the use of subjective analysis to undertake data analysis that could hardly be questioned for opinions expressed. Though much praise has gone for the NVivo qualitative data analysis software, there remain a number of disadvantages that the use of the software comes with. In terms of the scope of data that can be analysed using the software, there are chances that the search engine supplied by the software may have limitations on the subject areas and cannot make it possible for certain lines of data to be analysed using the software.

On the research methods that may be used by the software also, there are a number of limitations such that researchers are often forced to limit themselves to research methods that are prescribed by the software. In other words, the freedom of selection of research method is limited (Lincoln and Guba, 1985). For an academic research where a research design is specified for instance, the researcher may not comfortably use the software.