Cloud Computing in Qualitative Research: Collaborative Research through webQDA software

• Main Author: António Pedro Costa
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Centro Universitário de Anápolis 2016-12-01
• Series: Fronteiras: Journal of Social, Technological and Environmental Science
• Online Access: http://revistas.unievangelica.edu.br/index.php/fronteiras/article/view/2036

The Internet providing a wide range of communication tools, data sharing, management tasks, among others, has facilitated collaborative work in qualitative (and quantitative) research. However, qualitative research has taken timid steps towards a truly collaborative work. This article presents the results of a study that was carried out with the purpose of supporting the decision-making about the collaboration functionalities that can be implemented in the current version (3.0) of the software to support the qualitative analysis webQDA (www.webqda.net). The study was carried out through the application of a questionnaire to the participants of three editions of the Ibero-American Congress on Qualitative Research (years 2013, 2014 and 2015). The results point to the low importance given to the tools of collaboration and cooperation, communication and coordination, in which only 22 participants of the 362 made suggestions associated with these dimensions.