Software comparison – VERSION: October 2014 Christian Schmieder

UW-Madison, School of Education, MERIT Library cschmieder@wisc.edu

NVIVO MAXQDA DEDOOSE ATLAS.TI

ORGANIZE
Import of text RTF, TXT, DOC, PDF RTF, TXT, DOC, PDF RTF, TXT, DOC RTF, TXT, DOC, PDF
PDF Import either as externals, or as Import or linked. Import Linked.
internals. Either can be coded in MAXQDA. Either can be coded in ATLAS.TI.
Internals can be coded. Software creates library with backup Software creates library with
Externals have to be organized by the copies. backup copies.
user, cannot be coded.
Video & Audio Supported Supported Supported; pay per minute imported Supported
Transcription Integrated transcription tool, but not Integrated transcription tool; import with Transcription possible, but not mouse- Integrated transcription tool; ;
mouse-free; import with time stamps time stamps from f4 free & somewhat clunky import with time stamps from f4
File Organization Central project file, full access to the Central project file, full access to the file Central project file, only access to export Central project file, full access to
file itself itself the file itself
Folder Layering Multiple layers One layer of folders No folders No folders; organization in families
Variables Yes. Built for having multiple sets of Yes. Somewhat clunky handling & Yes. Good integration & workflow, also Via document organization in
variables for different data. organization of variables. allows for different data points under one families, thus somewhat more
variable. limited than the other 3 programs
Tables Excellent visualization & access. New feature, basic functionality. n/a n/a
Images Yes, sections can be coded & Yes, sections can be coded & annotated. Only as parts of text documents, but Yes, sections can be coded &
annotated. Very powerful table for prone to crashing annotated.
annotating images densely.
ANNOTATE
Coding Somewhat sluggish; poor Smooth and responsive; excellent Somewhat clunky 2-step process of Smooth and responsive, good
visualization. visualization. Excessive color options & creating a snippet and then adding visualization.
Basic colors available. tools to use colors. codes. One coding tree.
Multiple coding trees can be organized New feature: coding with icons Automatic coding colors. Coding tree is non-hierarchical, and
in different folders. (somewhat gimmicky). Coding weights can have extended family-based instead. In effect,
No weight available. One coding tree. functionality. handling of massive amounts of
Coding weights available. Coding tree easily visually overloaded; codes can overload the visual
coding tree organization somewhat accessibility.
tedious.
Memos Memos can be coded; each item can Excellent visualization of memos in-text. Excellent visualization of memos in-text. Both comments (i.e. localized
have one memo attached to it, and Indefinite number of memos can be Indefinite number of memos can be memos) and memos feature
one memo can be attached once. attached to instances of data, but only attached to instances of data. excellent word processing features.
Multiple linking options available (see one to a document as a whole, or a code Multiple memos can be attached to one No limit to memo length.
below). Visualization of memos in the as a whole. item (including memos themselves). Via network functions and family
text poor. Memos can only be coded as a whole, Memos cannot be viewed simultaneously organization, memos can be
No limit on memo length. not more fine-grained as in NVIVO. to the data. interlinked with multiple elements in
Basic word processing in memos. No limit on memo length. the database.
Basic word processing in memos; code Memos can be interlinked with other
classes available, time stamp insertion memos, comments, and codings.
available.
Hyperlinking Elaborate functions available Hyperlinks available n/a Hyperlinks available
(hyperlinks, see also links,
relationships that can be transformed
to nodes)
Software comparison – VERSION: October 2014 Christian Schmieder
UW-Madison, School of Education, MERIT Library cschmieder@wisc.edu
NVIVO MAXQDA DEDOOSE ATLAS.TI
SEARCHING & Complex searches; menus Complex searches; menu slightly clunky. Complex searches; selecting the scope Complex searches; menu slightly
RETREIVING somewhat dated; incudes Very quick simple searches. of the search somewhat tedious. clunky.
wizard though. Results viewed on the same screen as Display of results contains information Very quick simple searches.
Results viewed in separate tab data. Information on snippets incudes on linked memos and other linked Co-occurrences can be found
that can be detached to buffer weight & position, as well as attached codes. using automatically generated c-
de-contextualization. memos. De-contextualization does not allow for coefficient.
Extremely efficient & effective re- seeing the excerpt and the original data
contextualization (seeing the result in at the same time.
context)
Word search Yes. Quantification options Yes. Quantification options available (in Yes. But not across documents/sources. Yes. Quantification options
available MAXQDAplus version). available

Auto-coding and semi-auto coding Auto-coding and semi-auto

available. coding available.

EXPORT &
DISPLAY
Export Numbering in export not Numbering consistent in software & Numbering in export not consistent with Numbering consistent in software
consistent with in-software export. Allows for breaking text into line in-software enumeration. Enumeration & export.
enumeration. numbers. Standard automatic in paragraphs can be displayed in Excellent output options including
Excellent options for export of enumeration in paragraphs. software, but not in exports. coding strips.
interlinked objects. Excellent options for export of interlinked Excellent options for export of Excellent options for export of
All items exportable. objects. interlinked objects. interlinked objects.
All items exportable. All items exportable. All items exportable.
Visualization Various options. Various options, including visualizations Various options, extensively for Various options.
drawing heavily on code coloring. integration of variables; easy access to
a variety visualization options
Mapping tools Yes, but clunky. Yes, but clunky. No. Tightly integrated. By far the
best integration of a mapping
tool of any QDA software.
Overall design Menus are redundant, overall Efficient use of space, all relevant pieces Often many clicks are necessary to do Good use of space, use of space
the design does not make of a project can be seen on one screen. simple tasks. Dated design, and is customizable. Some menus
good use of the screen space. Easiest to learn. oftentimes the flash-based design gets such as the query tool and the
Dated design and hard to learn in its own way. family managers seem a bit
intuitively. dated in design.
Price around 670 around 570 around 11/ month plus cost for audio & Around 670
video data
Platform PC & MAC (mac version PC & MAC (mac & win projects not directly PC, MAC, Linux (browser-based, PC & MAC
missing some features) compatible) requires online connection)
Documentation Excellent. Good user forum Excellent. Good user forum Poor. Vital details are not given. User Excellent. Good selection of
forum not functional. guides and materials.
Software comparison – VERSION: October 2014 Christian Schmieder
UW-Madison, School of Education, MERIT Library cschmieder@wisc.edu

NVIVO DEDOOSE MAXQDA ATLAS.TI

Textual data Tier 2 Tier 2 Tier 1 Tier 1

Integration of video & audio data Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 1 Tier 1

Data in tables Tier 1 n/a Tier 2 n/a

PDFs Tier 2 Tier 1 Tier 1 Tier 1

(Online) collaboration Tier 1 Tier 1 Tier 3 Tier 2

Integration of quant data Tier 2 Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3

Organization of massive and diverse data sets Tier 1 Tier 3 Tier 2 Tier 3

Learning curve Tier 2 Tier 2 Tier 1 Tier 2

Coding visualization Tier 3 Tier 2 Tier 1 Tier 1

Memo visualization & writing options Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 1 Tier 1

Integration of network maps Tier 2 n/a Tier 2 Tier 1