A TECHNIQUE FOR OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF QUALITATIVE EVALUATION DATA

Analysis of qualitative--usually verbal--information from interview tr anscripts, field notes, and other sources has required huge amounts of labor. Some critics, moreover, maintain that such analysis is less th an reliable, objective and tabula rasa. A new computer program, howeve r, allows precisely repeatable analysis without a priori frameworks an d without tedious and subjective categorizing of passages. The program finds repetitive association of words or ideas that characterize the verbal research corpus which evaluators may display and interpret. Thi s article explains the program and illustrates its use in an evaluatio n of a collaborative botanic education project sponsored by the Nation al Science Foundation.