What is NUDIST

1
What is NUDIST?

• Non-numerical

Unstructured
Data
Indexing
Strategizing
Theorizing
2
It is a computer package designed to aid users in
handling non-numerical and unstructured data in
qualitative analysis.
NUDIST does this by supporting processes of
? indexing
? searching
? theorizing
3
A NUDIST project is the product of the
researcher's knowledge and organizational and
analytical skills.
NUDIST creates an environment to store and
powerfully explore data and ideas, to minimize
clerical routine and maximize flexibility, and to
discover new ideas and build on them.
4
NUDIST helps users to

• manage, explore and search the text of
  documents

• manage and explore ideas about the data

• link ideas and construct theories about the data

• test theories about the data

• generate reports including statistical summaries

5
NUDIST handles data such as

• text, for example reports or minutes, transcripts
  of unstructured conversational interviews,
  evidence transcripts, historical or literary
  documents, personnel records, field notes by an
  anthropologist, newspaper clippings and abstracts

• non-textual records, for example musical scores,
  photographs, tape recordings, films, maps and
  plans

6
NUDIST creates a document database for each
project which stores all the records of textual
and non-textual data. Text of on-line data is
stored in the NUDIST database but only a
reference to off-line data is held in the
database.
7
The document database enables users to

• store, edit and retrieve the text of any
  document

• record factual information about documents,
  cases, people, times and dates

• write and edit memos to record ideas about the
  documents

• search for words and phrases in the text of the
  document and automatically index these

8
NUDIST creates an index database which allows
users to
?create, record, store and explore the categories
for thinking about the project

• index data contained in the document database at
  particular categories

?manage the categories in an index system using
an unlimited number of categories and
subcategories organized in index 'trees'
?modify the index system any time to suit
changing ideas in a project

• search the index system to find links between
  categories and data

• write and edit memos about any index category

?create new categories for further analysis from
the results of searches of document text or
indexing
9
Results of any explorations of a document or the
index system come with an appropriate numerical
summary and can be edited and printed at any
stage.
10
NUDIST allows almost all operations to be run by
command files written in the NUDIST editor or a
word processor. Thus very large or repetitive
tasks can be performed very efficiently.