We are currently witnessing a massive backlash against using genartiveAI in qualitative research. Calls for "Slow Scholarship" and "Handmade Research" are growing louder, positioning themselves as the moral antithesis to the encroaching wave of artificial intelligence. Recently, I analysed the language used in these critique and I found a...
Read MoreIn qualitative research, newcomers to genartive AI and critiques of generative AI often assume that the technology is here to replace interpretation. Many stop before they start because they think “analysis” means pressing a button. When these first attempts don’t produce finished, nuanced insights, they conclude AI can’t do qualitative
Read MoreLast week an open letter against the use of generative AI for reflexive qualitative research made the round. At the time of writing about 400 qualitative researchers had signed it. Open Letter Here is their position: “We hold the position that analytic approaches such as reflexive thematic analysis are human research practices requiring a...
Read MoreHow AI Understands Qualitative Research: Conversations from Inside the AI Mind is a series of thought-provoking articles where I engage in dialogue with a chatbot to explore the nuances of qualitative research—particularly the process of data analysis. The goal is to uncover how a large language model (LLM) “thinks” when it analyzes data and...
Read MoreAs generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into qualitative research, transparency in its use is important to maintaining ethical integrity and research credibility. In this final instalment of our trilogy on ethics in AI-augmented qualitative research, we discuss best practices for documenting AI’s contributions in research reports. This...
Read MoreIn this article, I discuss key considerations for using generative AI to analyse qualitative data in an ethical manner and I present an example. In Part 1 of this series, I outlined the ethical research criteria established by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, and Research in Austria. For the context of data analysis, the following...
Read MoreData Privacy and Confidentiality Agreements As AI technology, particularly generative AI, becomes more prevalent in research practices, understanding and addressing its ethical implications is crucial. This three-part series will explore the landscape of ethical research, initially setting a foundation by examining general standards....
Read MoreDoes Generative AI Fulfill This Dream? By Dr. Susanne Friese Coding is one of the most established practices in qualitative research—yet also one of the most debated. For decades, it has been considered the backbone of rigorous qualitative analysis, allowing us to systematically organize, retrieve, and interpret large volumes of unstructured...
Read MoreIn recent weeks, when introducing our new AI-based platform for qualitative data analysis LUDRA, a few people expressed some uneasiness with the new technology pointing out issues around ethics and data privacy. There was also a lively discussion around it at the recent Symposium on AI in Qualitative Research organized by the CAQDAS Networking...
Read MoreI recently was given the opportunity to try out Qualia (formerly StorySurvey). Qualia is a platform for designing and delivering online interviews led by an AI interviewer. Possible use cases for Qualia are: Opinion research with hundreds of anonymous contributors, where interviews are conducted at regular
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