Where appropriate, and to supplement the statistical output obtained from the base module of SPSS, decision tree analysis is also employed. Decision tree analysis, provided by the module AnswerTree , allows relationships between variables in the dataset to be presented graphically in the form of a tree-like diagram. Operating the software is quite straightforward and has, from the Centre's viewpoint, been very successful. Clients who, like most of us, find the results of conventional statistical tests hard to interpret are able to make sense of AnswerTree 's output with much greater ease. The author has made two presentations on this topic, one at the SPSS UK Users' Group annual conference in November 1999 and latterly at the HC2000 IT Conference and Exhibition in Harrogate, England.
Qualitative data is subjected to a process of thematic analysis.
Again, this is a software assisted process, in this instance the package from QSR called Nudist . Textual material, whether derived from interviews, focus groups or other sources, is can be coded 'on the fly' quickly and easily. The need to laboriously mark, cut and paste pieces of paper is eliminated. All cutting and pasting activities become virtual rather than real with the advantage that any decisions taken about the code for a particular piece of text can be rapidly rescinded. The majority of the research work undertaken by the Centre now falls into the qualitative camp.