Advanced Qualitative Analysis with ATLAS.ti: A Practical Guide to Quantifying Coding Using CAQDAS

Abstract

This manual provides a methodological guide for conducting advanced qualitative analysis using ATLAS.ti within the CAQDAS (Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software) framework. It presents a structured workflow that enables researchers to move from qualitative coding of textual data to the structural analysis of coded corpora through exploratory analytical techniques. The manual describes the preparation of the corpus, the construction of a coding scheme, and the systematic application of codes to different types of qualitative data, including interviews, focus groups and professional narratives. It then introduces procedures for exploring the corpus through code frequencies, comparison between groups of documents, and co-occurrence analysis, allowing for the identification of thematic patterns. A key contribution of the manual is the transformation of qualitative coding results into a code–document matrix, which serves as the basis for further analysis. Using this matrix, the manual demonstrates how to apply contingency tables, chi-square tests, Cramer’s V, and correspondence analysis to examine relationships between codes and documents. These techniques enable the integration of qualitative interpretation with the structural exploration of data. The manual also includes procedures for assessing inter-coder reliability using Krippendorff’s alpha, ensuring methodological rigour in the coding process. The analytical workflow is illustrated through an applied case study in nursing, demonstrating how the proposed approach can be implemented in social science research. Overall, the manual offers a practical and replicable framework for software-assisted qualitative analysis, supporting researchers and postgraduate students in organising, analysing and interpreting complex textual corpora.