ORGANIZING, STORING, AND ANALYZING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH INFORMATION IN A COMPUTER DATABASE

Objective - To describe a method to handle data in qualitative researc h. Design - Description of the data handling process in a personal com puter database. Setting - The method was used in a Danish qualitative study with more than 100 interviews on quality of care. Outcome measur es - The author's own description and assessment of the system. Result s - Storing information in a database makes it possible to store and r etrieve information from qualitative research divided in themes and su bthemes. The themes and subthemes are based on an interview guide and the succeeding development of theory and new themes. The comprehensive sorting systems in a database enable the researcher to keep an overvi ew of his data while analysing and reporting. Conclusion - Storing, an alysing, and retrieving data from qualitative research demands careful planning. A computer database may be a good help in this process if t he researcher will not use more complex and comprehensive software for his analysis.