add the following information to the above.... Using Software I recommend that for first-time or small-scale studies, start initially with manual coding. After you have gained some experience with manual coding and have developed a basic understanding of the fundamentals of qualitative data analysis, apply that experiential knowledge base by using coding software. 8 It can also make it easier to develop complex stratified sets of codes, arranged around nodes, in different layers. It will also make the use of codes to identify data that is relevant to any given question more operationalizable: the software will automatically pull together all the data that has been coded with a particular code for you to review together. It is possible to proliferate codes beyond the level at which you will be able to remember them all or deal with them usefully. __________ NVivo is not particularly a user-friendly, intuitive program. It takes a bit of training and month or so of ramp up time to use it effectively