MAXQDA - The Art of Text Analysis


Overview of functions of MAXQDA

We would like to support you in finding an ideal relation between your analytical demands and the tool. Therefore we are presenting you with an extensive overview of the essential functions of MAXQDA, MAXQDAplus, and MAXReader. We would like to specifically encourage you to compare MAXQDA with other products for qualitative data analysis.


Data Management

Functions
The Functions highlighted in blue are especially significant for the innovation and user-friendliness of our software.
MAXQDA MAXQDAplus MAXQDAReader
Importing texts in Rich Text Format or creating them directly within the program. check check cross
Import possibility for OLE objects – images, tables. check check cross
Unicode based - ALL languages and characters can be used in every function of the program. check check cross
All texts are editable - even in coded state. check check cross
Automatic coding for pre-structured texts with MAXQDA-Preprocessor (open questions in surveys; structured interviews). check check cross
Inserting texts from the Internet-Browser into MAXQDA via drag & drop. check check cross
Organizing texts in text groups. Additional option: any given number of alternative text combinations can be created and saved in the form of text sets. However, the organization of the text groups remains intact. check check cross
Text Memos – visualized “Post-it” notes can be attached to any texts, e.g. for noting down contextual information. check check check
Exporting - exporting texts, including paragraph numbers, into Word. check check check
Creating text specific overview of assigned codings, codes, and memos (also as HTML table) with just one click of the mouse. check check check
ONE Project = ONE File – Maximized safety thanks to the integration of all project elements into just one file. Backup with one mouse click. check check check
External and Internal Links – Linking of text segments to any place outside of or within the project. check check cross
Link Management - allows an overview of all links at any time. check check check
Weighted coding - The easy use of a fuzzy variable (on a scale of 1 to 100) while coding allows the researcher to define the relevance of any text segment for the selected code. The assigned value will be visualized check check cross
Weight filter - The weight can be used as a sorting or filter criteria in the list of search results. check check cross
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Code System and Coding

Functions
The Functions highlighted in blue are especially significant for the innovation and user-friendliness of our software
MAXQDA MAXQDAplus MAXQDAReader
Flexible code system Codes may be moved at will via drag & drop. Selected parts of a Code System may be copied and assigned as sub codes to another code. Sorting of the Code System may be conducted by the researcher or alphabetically. check check cross
Hierarchical category systems (up to 10 levels in depth), can be switched into a non-hierarchical one if preferred. check check cross
Multiple and overlapping codings of single text segments are possible. check check cross
Coding with a color marker - An excellent option for the first coding is the color selection: text segments may be highlighted in blue, green, purple, or red and coded according to these colors. check check cross
In-vivo-coding - Highlighting words in the text and having them entered into the Code System as codes automatically. check check cross
Code memos - Directly attach definitions and anchor examples as visualized “Post-it” notes to single codes. check check cross
Automatic coding – Searching for one or several words and having them coded automatically. The results can easily be adjusted by the researcher. check check cross
Teamwork - Extensive support: Exchange and merge MAXQDA projects within a team. Export and Import of Code Systems, Teamwork-Export and -Import function: safely and directly exchange codings, memos, and attributes of all or single texts as mini files within the team. check check cross
Color coding – unlimited researcher-driven color selection for the code visualization. check check cross
Visibility control Codings may be shown or hidden at any time. check check check
Intercoder Accordance - Coder specific color assignments (may be shown or hidden) allow comparison of coding behavior. check check check
Print what you see - Print out texts with the marked codings in the margins or export them to an RTF file. check check check
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Memos and Memo Management

Functions
The Functions highlighted in blue are especially significant for the innovation and user-friendliness of our software
MAXQDA MAXQDAplus MAXQDAReader
Visualize memo forms as “Post-it’s”: Hold on to thoughts or comments as memos on the spot and attach them to text segments or codes. check check cross
Visualized memo types - 11 individually visualized memo types allow analytical differentiation of the memos at a glance. check check check
Memo-Networking - Multiple codes may be assigned to a memo for the dimensionalization of categories. check check cross
Memo Manager - ALL memos are accessible in a table at any time and may be managed, sorted, searched for, and opened. Memos may also be opened and edited directly from the specific text or code. check check check
Mobile Memos - Moving memos via drag & drop. check check cross
Memo-Export - Export the entire memo overview or a researcher driven export of selected parts of the overview as an HTML or RTF file. check check check
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Text Retrieval and Search Function

Functions
The Functions highlighted in blue are especially significant for the innovation and user-friendliness of our software
MAXQDA MAXQDAplus MAXQDAReader
Activation Search Principle – “Activation” of codes and texts in any possible combination allows for maximized flexibility in the selective search. check check check
View text segments resulting from selected codes and texts and export them as RTF or HTML files check check
Never loose the context of text segments and memos: memos and text segments may be viewed in their original context at any time. check check check
Testing “Hypotheses” - Boolean operators for searching distributions and patterns in the coded text segments (proximity/overlappings/intersections etc.). check check check
Lexical search function - Searching for words and combinations of words in texts and memos and having the results be presented as keywords-in-context and, if so desired, have them coded automatically. check check checksuchen crosscodieren
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Mixed Methods Approaches

Functions
The Functions highlighted in blue are especially significant for the innovation and user-friendliness of our software
MAXQDA MAXQDAplus MAXQDAReader
Logical activation - Define attributes in MAXQDA or import them from SPSS and use them to trigger a selection of texts and codes (e.g. what are the statements of women under the age of 40, single, with one child, in a leading position (=attributes) concerning life satisfaction and recreational behavior (=codes)). check check cross
Converting code frequencies into attributes and exporting them to quantitative analysis software. check check cross
Export and import of attributes from and to SPSS/Excel or other statistical software. check check crossImp checkExp
Transformation of codes into attributes - Code frequencies may be transformed into attributes and used for the quantitative analysis with statistical software. check check cross
Export and import of a data matrix offers an efficient gateway between quantitative and qualitative data (attributes and codings). E.g.: the evaluation of open questions in surveys in combination with a quantitative data matrix; the shared entry of attribute values within a team of researchers; application of the results of statistical analysis’ in MAXQDA (e.g. cluster analysis). check check cross
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Dictionary Based Content Analysis/Vocabulary Analysis

Following are the essential functions of the MAXQDA add-on MAXDictio. MAXDictio is a component of MAXQDAplus. This software offers a variety of functionality that come from the area of classical quantitative content analysis. MAXDictio makes these techniques available for the qualitative data analysis and gives you this additional easy-to-use methodical option.

Functions
The Functions highlighted in blue are especially significant for the innovation and user-friendliness of our software
MAXQDA MAXQDAplus MAXQDAReader
Creating word frequency lists for a freely selectable combination of data sets (single text, multiple texts, or selected, coded text segments). cross check cross
Editing of texts and assigning of text segments. cross check cross
Creating an index of selected words from one or multiple texts. cross check cross
Stop- and Go-lists allow the targeted exclusion or inclusion of words into a search when conducting a word frequency analysis. cross check cross
Selective evaluation by arbitrary criteria (e.g. socio-demographic attributes); filtering through numerical data. cross check cross
Dictionaries (simple or hierarchical) - may be created directly from the word frequency list and may be used for the specific search or further quantitative analysis. Categories within the dictionary may be moved via drag & drop. cross check cross
Transfer of words (by simply clicking on them) from the word frequency table into the dictionary. cross check cross
Automatic coding of single or multiple terms directly from dictionaries. cross check cross
The Coder conducts an automatic quantitative content analysis on the basis of categories and search terms within the dictionaries. cross check cross
Interactive Result-Matrix of the Coder - It is possible to jump directly to the place of finding from the results listed in the matrix. cross check cross
Export code book - The entire dictionary with all its search keys may be exported as an RTF file and contains a complete code book. cross check cross
Easy further processing of results with SPSS and Excel. cross check cross
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Visualizations and Graphical Tools

Functions
The Functions highlighted in blue are especially significant for the innovation and user-friendliness of our software
MAXQDA MAXQDAplus MAXQDAReader
Code-Matrix- and Code Relations-Browser create a visual overview of the distribution of codings throughout the entire set of data, respectively the overlapping of codings and the underlying text segments, with just one mouse click. Export to graphical presentation in Excel/SPSS; Presentation alternatively graphical or numerical. check check check
Cross-tables give you an overview of the relation between codes (rows) and attributes (columns). The values presented in the matrix may be displayed as absolute numbers, or as row- or column-percentages. check check check
Text Portrait for the presentation of a selected text as a “Picture” of all (or just of a selection) its coded segments within the text. check check check
Text Comparison Chart for the visual comparison of all codings from the selected texts. check check check
Codeline visualizes the development of themes (codings) within a text as a colored line. The presentation is interactive; clicking on any part of the line displays the respective text segment in the Text Browser. This way, Codeline allows, for example in focus groups, for an immediate impression of the participation of single members of the discussion. check check check
Marking texts with colors just like a highlighter. check check cross
MAXMaps the visualization of all elements within MAXQDA in order to illustrate complex connections graphically as a model. check check check
Free graphics in MAXMaps - MAXMaps allows for the creation of graphical presentations independent of existing MAXQDA project data. This way any given pictures, graphics, or texts may be imported into a Map and connected with each other. check check cross
Live-Connection to all MAXQDA Data - Immediate interaction between the Map and data (texts, memos, codings, attributes) allows for a graphically supported sorting and data analysis. check check cross
Sequential presentation as “Layers” - MAXMaps allows you to assign elements of a graphic to single-layers, which may be blended in or out. check check cross
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Teamwork, Support and other Advantages

Functions
The Functions highlighted in blue are especially significant for the innovation and user-friendliness of our software
MAXQDA MAXQDAplus MAXQDAReader
Teamwork functions – with specially designed functions for working together on one project or merging different projects (e.g. for longitudinal studies). check check cross
Coder Management – Different coders may use the same project; codings may be shown or hiddenin order to coordinate the coding behavior and to increase the reliability. check check cross
MAXReader allows for the sharing of project data with read-only and search function restriction. It is not possible to interfere with the data. check check check
Author management – When opening a MAXQDA project the user may “log-in” in order to personalize all steps of the analysis (creating codings/memos/attributes). check check cross
Online-Manual and Online-Tutorial for the introduction into the software, as well as numerous Publications and an annual user-conference (www.caqd.de). check check check
Creating a backup of your entire study and sending it to your research partners via the internet. check check cross
Logbook allows for the continuous logging of your project work. check check cross
Six different languages - MAXQDA is available in: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese. check check check
Short-Cuts and Fast-Access – Eleven different short-cuts and fast access buttons in the different windows allow for the immediate access to frequently used functions. check check cross
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