Secondary Analysis of Database-Stored Qualitative Data: QUESSY as Interface Between QDA and RDBMS Systems

Abstract

Data bases or relational data base management systems (RDBMS) offer advantages over the common saving as data files for the storage of qualitative data in secondary analysis archives and larger research projects. But the use of databases in qualitative data analysis (QDA) until now has not been popular because of the feature of QDA programs which permit only the assignment of documents stored as data files. To facilitate a more efficient use of professional DBMS in QDA we developed the conception of an interface to QDA programs. The present prototype QUESSY.ti is an interface between some of the most popular and powerful RDBMS (MS SQL, Oracle, MySQL, MS Access) on the one side, and ATLAS.ti on the other. QUESSY.ti lets the user post a detailed SQL query to the RDBMS and retrieves the results. In an elaborate mapping stage, database field names (attributes) can then be directly "translated" into the "language" of QDA software. A third stage allows for direct import of the retrieved data into the QDA program (currently, ATLAS.ti). This article, after introducing the use of databases in qualitative data storing, describes the workings of QUESSY.ti, relays the findings of an international poll of ATLAS.ti users, and finally discusses potential fields of application. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0501350

Keywords

• data bases
• database storing of qualitative data
• descriptive metadata
• secondary analysis
• interface to QDA programs
• ATLAS.ti
• readers' letters after the 9-11 terror attack