Concept mapping from qualitative interviews: A case of methodological integration using ATLAS/ti and SPSS

Abstract

The combined use of specific techniques and computer applications originally designed for qualitative or quantitative tasks does not imply contradiction in research practices, on the contrary, it can increase the analysis productivity. A case is presented in this paper as an example of integration by means of the use of ATLAS/ti and SPSS for the generation of a kind of «conceptual maps» from focused retrospective interviews. The aim is to represent graphically, in a low dimensionality space, the conceptual structure «shared» by a group of people. As a conclusion, the analytical procedures and software tools that seems more suited for this integration are identified, and some conditions for a widespread use of the methodology are briefly discussed.