AI in Qualitative Research

In this podcasts, the hosts, Lisa and Tom, talk about the highlights of the recent webinar conducted by Dr. Susanne Friese.Many researchers are experimenting with AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or NotebookLM. The results can be impressive, but also raise important questions: Can AI be trusted with qualitative data? What happens to confidential material? How do we deal with hallucinations? And how can we make sure that analysis remains grounded in the actual data?You will learn more about common concerns around hallucination, traceability, and the limitations of general-purpose AI tools, but also how AI can support qualitative data analysis in a responsible and methodologically sound way.With this background, you will better understand why Susanne was motivated to built QInsights, designed specifically for qualitative analysis: not as a one-click replacement for the researcher, but as an AI-supported workspace where findings remain linked to the source material and the researcher stays in control.

In this episode, Lisa and Tom take on a series of objections and concerns that Dr. Susanne Friese has heard repeatedly over the past month in conversations with researchers.Can I trust a tool if I don’t know what it was trained on?If there are no citations, is it plagiarism?If a colleague arrives at a different result, we can talk it through. But with an AI assistant, I cannot do this.And if I have to check everything anyway, what’s the point?These are just some of the questions Lisa and Tom explore in this wide-ranging conversation about the place of generative AI in qualitative research.If you’ve ever felt hesitant, skeptical, or just plain curious about AI’s role in your research process—this episode is for you.Useful links:Informed Consent with AITemplate (German): Vertraulichkeitserklärung mit KI NutzungTemplate (English): Informed Consent when AI tools are usedPrivacy and Security Fact Sheets for QInsightsData Protection and Data Security at QInsightsQInsights: Privacy and Securitiy Fact Sheet GemanDatenschutzbezogene Angaben zur Nutzung von QInsightsQInsights: Steckbrief zum Datenschutz

Is coding still essential in qualitative research—or can generative AI offer a smarter way forward? In this episode, Dr. Susanne Friese takes you on a journey through the history of coding, its role in managing complexity, and how today's AI tools might free us from mechanical tasks without sacrificing depth or rigor. Learn how dialogic analysis with AI transforms our interaction with data—and whether the dream of coding-free research is truly within reach.Based on the blog and webinar: Life without Coding in Qualitative Analysis: Does Generative AI Fulfill This Dream?BlogWebinar Recording (YouTube)

This episode is based on a conversation between Sidi Lemine, CEO of Jade Kite, and Dr Susanne Friese, written up by Sidi with the title "The Great Unlearning: making the most of the AI paradigm shift" and published on LinkedIn (Episode AI Art from the original article by Sidi Lemine)