The Top Tools for Qualitative Data Analysis in 2022

Qualitative data analysis can seem like a daunting task. As researchers, we often find ourselves overwhelmed with pages upon pages of interview transcripts, field notes, and other qualitative data sources that need to be analyzed and made sense of. The good news is that there are some fantastic tools out there that can make qualitative data analysis much more manageable.

In this article, I’ll go over my top picks for qualitative data analysis tools based on my own experience as a researcher. I’ve broken things down into a few key categories: transcription services, coding tools, analysis tools, and transcription/coding combos. I’ve included both free and paid options, so there should be something here for every budget and need.

Transcription Services

Transcribing qualitative interviews word-for-word is often the first step in analysis. But transcribing audio recordings by hand is extremely time-consuming. Transcription services can save huge amounts of time and hassle. Here are some of the best:

• Temi – My top choice for automated transcription Temi uses AI to transcribe audio and video files with around 90% accuracy. It’s affordable, fast, and easy to use You do have to go back and correct any errors, but it’s way faster than transcribing from scratch.

• Rev – Rev has a large pool of human transcribers so you get highly accurate transcripts But it’s pricier than automated services Turnaround time is usually within 12-36 hours.

• GoTranscript – This service also uses human transcribers. It’s cheaper than Rev, but turnaround time is a bit slower at 24-72 hours. Still a good option on a budget.

• Scribie – Another option for affordable human transcription with turnarounds of up to 24 hours. Not as accurate as Rev in my experience but still pretty solid.

Coding Tools

Coding is where you start categorizing and labeling your qualitative data according to major themes. These tools make coding more efficient:

• NVivo – The coding tool I use most often. Extremely full-featured software with tools for tagging, annotating, retrieving, and analyzing coded data. Plus visualization tools. Pricey but worth it.

• MAXQDA – MAXQDA is right up there with NVivo in terms of power and features. It’s particularly great for mixed methods research. Slightly more intuitive interface in my opinion.

• Quirkos – A low-cost alternative good for beginners or smaller projects. Simple drag-and-drop interface. Limited features compared to NVivo and MAXQDA but still solid.

• Taguette – Totally free open-source software with basic coding tools. Much more limited than the paid options but usable if you have no budget.

• Microsoft Excel – It has its limits for coding complex qualitative data, but for simple stuff Excel works in a pinch!

Analysis Tools

Coding is just the first step. You also need tools that help you identify themes, glean insights, visualize data, and more. Here are some of my favorites:

• Voyant Tools – A free web-based suite for text analysis and visualization. Great for discovering word frequencies, trends, and relationships in textual data.

• Orange – Open-source data visualization and machine learning software. Useful for creating visualizations and finding patterns in coded data sets.

• Dedoose – Web-based mixed methods analysis tool with stats integration. Pricier but packed with analytical features and visualizations.

• RQDA – A free R-based tool with an emphasis on coding and text mining. Fantastic if you already use R.

• SPSS – The standard for statistical analysis. The Text Analytics module is great for text mining tasks like sentiment analysis, auto-coding, and more.

Transcription/Coding Combos

Finally, some tools combine transcription and coding into a single platform. Convenient if you want an all-in-one workflow:

• otter.ai – Otter uses AI to transcribe audio and integrates directly with Zoom. You can code transcripts right inside Otter.

• HappyScribe – Another AI transcription tool with built-in coding features like highlighting and comments.

• Descript – Transcribes audio/video and allows you to edit transcripts plus highlight and comment on them.

• Trint – Transcribes audio/video files then automatically tags speech elements so you can code as you go.

Key Takeaways