Notes
Qualitative research, AI, and local-first software.
Writing on methodology, tool comparisons, and the tradeoffs of building a research tool that keeps data on-device.
NVivo alternatives in 2026: what actually replaces it (and what doesn't)
An honest survey of MAXQDA, ATLAS.ti, Delve, Taguette, and where local-first AI tools fit — without pretending every alternative is a drop-in replacement.
What "IRB-compliant AI transcription" actually requires
A practical checklist for evaluating whether a transcription tool actually fits your review board's data-handling protocol — not just its marketing page.
How to use AI in qualitative coding without giving up your judgment
Why the methodological unease about AI-assisted coding is legitimate, what "conditional trust" research reveals, and a framework for keeping AI as suggestion, not substitution.
Local vs. cloud transcription for research: what actually matters
An honest technical comparison — speed, cost structure, offline capability, and accuracy — without assuming local is automatically better.
Qualitative coding: a starter guide
Deductive vs. inductive coding, what a codebook is for, saturation, inter-rater reliability, and the mistakes most new researchers make.