Open AccessComputer Aided Phenomenography: The Role of Leximancer Computer Software in Phenomenographic Investigation
Author(s) -
Sorrel Penn-Edwards
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2010.1150
Subject(s) - phenomenography , computer aided , qualitative research , process (computing) , perspective (graphical) , reliability (semiconductor) , computer science , psychology , mathematics education , sociology , social science , artificial intelligence , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , programming language , operating system
The qualitative research methodology of phenomenography has traditionally required a manual sorting and analysis of interview data. In this paper I explore a potential means of streamlining this procedure by considering a computer aided process not previously reported upon. Two methods of lexicological analysis, manual and automatic, were examined from a phenomenographical perspective and compared. It was found that the computer aided process - Leximancer - was a valid investigative tool for use in phenomenography. Using Leximancer was more efficacious than manual operation; the researcher was able to deal with large amounts of data without bias, identify a broader span of syntactic properties, increase reliability, and facilitate reproducibility. The introduction of a computer aided methodology might also encourage other qualitative researchers to engage with phenomenography.