BA-DS-Research-Software.md

@@ -7,7 +7,13 @@ The research software listed below is used / taught in different programmes at F
 
 </summary>
 
-[Atlas.ti](https://atlasti.com/) is a tool for qualitative research, e.g., coding interview data, for which Maastricht University provides a license key to students and staff. Atlas.ti allows the interactive categorisation and tagging of your data and includes visualisation options (e.g network diagrams and word clouds). However, you should only use the software if you are thoroughly familiar with its functionality and can interpret visualisations correctly. More traditional and equally effective ways of coding your data are pen and paper or spreadsheets (such as EXCEL).
+[Atlas.ti](https://atlasti.com/) is a tool for qualitative research, e.g., coding interview data, for which Maastricht University provides a license key to students and staff. The software is available through the university's software store, where students can select a specialised student version. This version of _Atlas.ti_ features a dashboard that facilitates the easy creation of various projects. The top bar offers functions for adding new documents and accommodates multimedia files with a wide range of file extensions. _Atlas.ti_ allows the interactive categorisation and tagging of your data and includes visualisation options (e.g network diagrams and word clouds). However, you should only use the software if you are thoroughly familiar with its functionality and can interpret visualisations correctly. More traditional and equally effective ways of coding your data are pen and paper or spreadsheets (such as EXCEL).
+
+In the BA DS programme, _Atlas.ti_ was demonstrated in the _Qualitative Research Methods_ course. In the lecture by Thom Frissen, the sample dataset consisted of nine cooking recipes, which were used to explain the process of [closed coding](https://uh-dcm.github.io/qualitative-research-and-computers/closed-coding/). Closed coding, in qualitative research, means assigning predefined codes to the research material. The term "coding" in this context refers to a deliberate process of data reduction based on a specific theoretical framework. Codes are developed within the _Atlas.ti_ "[code manager](https://doc.atlasti.com/ManualWin.v9/Managers/ManagerForCodes.html)" and then incorporated into a codebook. All codes are presented in a dropdown menu, organised alphabetically by default. Within the _Atlas.ti_ software, users can open a document and manually highlight individual lines of text or even specific words to apply their codes. The software also offers automated "[search and code](https://doc.atlasti.com/ManualWin.v9/SearchAndCode/SearchAndCode.html)" functionalities. It should be noted, however, that cooking recipes, which are heavy in nouns and short, repetitive instructions, are not necessarily representative of the texts that humanities and social sciences scholars normally use for research. Therefore, the analytical process applied to this material needs to be modified when working with interviews or social media data. For instance, _Atlas.ti_ permits the grouping of interview transcripts with field observation notes.
+
+When it comes to saving research results, _Atlas.ti_ provides various export options, including PDFs with annotations or spreadsheet versions of the codebook. Users can include visualisations, but it is imperative to always retain the coded documents, a list of all codes, and the associated quotations for documentation. 
+
+Atlas.ti maintains [an official YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYR-VG5Ar7-Idr0W1WWy6Yw) with user tutorials. We highly recommend watching these videos before working with the software.
 
 \[_Summary by Monika Barget_\]
 
@@ -19,17 +25,17 @@ The research software listed below is used / taught in different programmes at F
 
 </summary>
 
-[Qualtrics](https://library.maastrichtuniversity.nl/apps-tools/qualtrics/) is a digital survey tool that students and staff can use for free at Maastricht University. Please contact your faculty's ICT service and briefly mention your research purpose to receive access. Qualtrics permits you to create surveys from templates and to disseminate them online. The question types you may select range from free text responses to dropdown menus and scales. When it comes to analysing the participants' responses, you can either export the data and explore them with Python, R or other ready-made software, or you can use the many data filtering and data visualisation options within **Qualtrics**:
+[Qualtrics](https://library.maastrichtuniversity.nl/apps-tools/qualtrics/) is a digital survey tool that students and staff can use for free at Maastricht University. Please contact your faculty's ICT service and briefly mention your research purpose to receive access. _Qualtrics_ permits you to create surveys from templates and to disseminate them online. The question types you may select range from free text responses to dropdown menus and scales. When it comes to analysing the participants' responses, you can either export the data and explore them with Python, R or other ready-made software, or you can use the many data filtering and data visualisation options within _Qualtrics_:
 
-1) Qualtrics permits you to filter results based on respondents' age, nationality, education or whatever attributes you have asked them to provide.
-2) By default, Qualtrics shows you the results in table format and as bar charts. The visualisation of results can be changed. You can, for example, also create pie charts and change the colours and labels.
-3) All charts can be exported individually for your thesis, but you can also export complete reports. The "default report" contains all the responses. But you can also create selected reports based on your filters.
+1) _Qualtrics_ permits you to [filter results](https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/reports-module/results-section/filtering-results/) based on your respondents' age, nationality, education or whatever personal attributes you have asked them to provide. You can also filter data by time if your survey covered a longer period.
+2) By default, _Qualtrics_ shows you the results of your survey in table format and as [bar charts](https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/reports-module/results-section/visualizations/charts/bar-chart/). However, bar charts are not always the most useful representation of data. The visualisation of results can, therefore, be changed. You can, for example, also create [pie charts](https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/reports-module/results-section/visualizations/charts/pie-chart/), [line charts](https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/reports-module/results-section/visualizations/charts/line-chart/), and [gauge charts](https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/reports-module/results-section/visualizations/charts/gauge-chart/), or change the colours and labels.
+3) All charts can be exported individually, but you can also export complete reports. The "[default report](https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/reports-module/results-section/reports-overview/)" contains all the responses. In addition, you can also create selected reports based on your filters.
 
 The following **video** explains the process step-by-step:
 
 [Qualtrics Edit Reports with Breakouts and Filters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igq2y0pVHCc)
 
-That being said, it is best to avoid copying and pasting tables/graphs from Qualtrics immediately. It is best to use tables and graphs in your thesis or exams that are in line with the APA7th reporting conventions. R and RStudio (see below) will help you produce such tables/graphs.
+That said, it is best to avoid copying and pasting tables / graphs from Qualtrics into your research paper or thesis without explaining and contextualising what we see in your own words. All charts included in academic papers also need proper captions. It is vital to use tables and graphs in line with the APA7 formatting conventions. R and R-Studio, to which BA DS students have been introduced in the _Qualitative Data Analysis_ course, can also help you analyse and visualise data collected with _Qualtrics_, especially when the options provided by _Qualtrics_ are too limited.
 
 \[_Summary by Monika Barget_\]