The use of computers in survey research and statistical analysis is now com-monplace and, indeed, many books on survey research do not even consider manual analysis of data. In considering survey software you have essentially two choices. You can either buy the software and do the work yourself, or you can use one of the online software hosting sites; these let someone else take care of most of the details for you. An internet search will reveal a range of current sites that offer this service for a range of prices.
If you buy and install your software on your own computer you will need to know how to use the software package and have the time to input the findings and analyse the results. There are many packages on the market which can be used in survey research and which vary in price and sophistica-tion. Whichever software package is used, the procedures for storing and analysing the data will be similar.
There are software packages for inputting data, analysing data and pro-ducing graphical output, and some integrated packages that perform all the functions required for survey analysis. Before choosing a package, you will need to consider the issues indicated in Figure 8.9. If you have little or no knowledge of computer packages, then ease of use, a telephone helpline, menu system and good documentation will be especially important in select-ing the appropriate software package.
Dedicated profiling programs
There are two main packages that have been designed specifically for under-taking community profiles. These are both packages that provide the soft-ware to take you through the data collection, entry and analysis stages. If your study is being undertaken in a rural area, you could make use of an integrated package called Village Appraisal. This software package is designed specifically for profiles of small villages or rural areas (see Figure 8.10). The 104 COMMUNITY PROFILING
other package, which is designed for urban and other areas, is Compass (see Figure 8.11, overleaf).
Statistical analysis software packages
It is possible to use database or spreadsheet packages (such as Access or Excel) for certain stages of the research process. They tend to be limited in terms of data analysis but can be useful for data entry. Once the data set has been
Figure 8.9 Issues to consider when selecting a software package
Figure 8.10 Village Appraisal integrated software package
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entered, it can then be imported into another package for statistical analysis such as SPSS, Statgraphics or Minitab. In addition there are several integrated packages that you might want to consider; these vary in price and sophistica-tion. Possibly the most commonly used software package for survey research is Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). SNAP is another integrated package designed for survey analysis. Like the dedicated packages described earlier, it employs a menu system and is easy to use for the simple analysis of survey data. (For further information see the resources listed in Appendix 3.)
There is also an increasing range of software packages available that are designed to assist with qualitative data analysis. Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS), as these packages are sometimes called, vary in function although they work in essentially the same way as we have described manual analysis. The first task is to type all the text into a word-processing program. Once the text has been checked, it is saved in a format ready for import into a package. At this stage you will need to print it out and decide which sections are important. These sections then have to be coded as described earlier. Codes can be stored and manipulated in the program (adding, deleting, merging, ordering and even weighting them). Once this process is complete, the data can be analysed.
If you intend to use a qualitative analysis package, you should be prepared to invest considerable resources in terms of both time and money. Because the
Figure 8.11 Compass community pro filing software 106 COMMUNITY PROFILING
process is resource-intensive it is probably not worth making the investment for relatively small numbers of interviews. However, a project that contained a large qualitative element would be dif ficult to undertake using manual methods of analysis.
Summary of key issues
Analysing data is generally easier to do than read about. Most community profiles can be produced using only frequencies and some cross-tabulations, with perhaps some verbatim comments drawn from interviews or group dis-cussions and some well-chosen photographs. Analysing data manually need not be too daunting and can prove interesting and enlightening, and, if done collectively, can be enjoyable. If an integrated package such as Compass for Windows or Village Appraisal is used, then this process can be quite straight-forward. In deciding whether to analyse data manually or using a computer, and in considering which software package to use, you will need to consider how large your survey is, what analysis is required, what expertise you have and what resources are available.
Reference
Chapman, M. (1986) Plain Figures. London: HMSO.
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