On-line Consultancy – more than ‘click here’ training!

Sometimes, it’s not ‘click here’ training that qualitative researchers need. It can be a whole range of additional supports. It may be conceptual rather than technical such as getting help to develop an analytical strategy for your project that is entirely consistent with your chosen data analysis methodology and its philosophical underpinnings or simply ensuring your NVivo database is set up in a manner consistent with that data analysis method.

We say analytical strategy rather than coding strategy because some people confuse these two things. Whether you need help with setting up your NVivo project, coding, retrieval or reporting on findings we can help you to get the best out of your data using NVivo.

We can show you the optimum way to  organise your data or even help deciding what is your data (integrated literature for example imported from referencing software such as EndNote or Zotero to name but two) ) to include field notes and observations as well as primary sources such as interviews or focus groups. It may be making management decisions about coding; should you transcribe or code from the media file and what are the pros and cons of either decision. Other concerns may centre on formatting transcripts for auto-coding; deciding on the appropriateness of this option for your particular project by understanding its advantages and limitations. You may need help integrating profiling or demographic information about your participants or integrating open and closed questions in a questionnaire Conceptual issues that we deal with everyday often encompass research design issues and range from planing your project, through implementation to interrogating the data leading to satisfactory retrieval and reporting outcomes particularly when it comes to your audit trail.

Of course, there is always the practical! How to set it all up in NVivo or ensuring it is done correctly and you have the correct architecture in your database to give you the return on your investment in terms of time and energy.

Very little of all of above will be served with ‘click here’ training. Some of our clients want to learn the detailed mechanics involved in building proper databases using rich and unstructured data for naturalistic enquiry. This is fine for those that want to teach NVivo or build it into their research methodology workshops or to support students they may be supervising who wish to use such tools. But many more just want to get on with their analysis and may never use NVivo again once their project is finished. For these people, on-line consultancy is a perfect solution. They can focus their energies on the bits they need to know and let an expert do the rest. They can be taught in that most practical way with the ‘click here’ reserved for the acquisition of only the requisite skills to complete their project.

How it works

Costs can be kept to a minimum. The hours may be booked in blocks but may be drawn down in shorter segments as and when required. This option frees the researcher to use the service to their up most advantage by allowing them to work their own way, in their own time and in their own home or office. Our service is offered in the evenings and on Saturdays as well as during normal office hours. So whether it’s planning your project, setting up your data or help with retrieval and reporting on your data, transcribing or academic editing, on line consultancy is tailored to your project and your needs.

Typically, people need between 4  and 10 hours for masters by research, professional doctorates or PhD level research projects

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