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.

A simple car-wash prompt reveals why AI can sound helpful while missing the actual goal. In this episode, we explore what this means for AI literacy, context, and qualitative research — and why QInsights is designed to keep researchers actively involved in the analysis instead of leaving interpretation to the AI alone.

Tom and Lisa discuss my response to a call for chapters on "AI-free research", a new Routledge volume championing slow, handmade scholarship against the fast-food promises of AI-driven analysis.

The resistance is understandable—AI promises fast-food solutions to problems that demand slow, careful thought. But rejecting AI entirely isn't the answer.

Listen to the podcast to find out. I've added clarifications when Tom and Lisa miss the mark—a reminder of what happens when we leave AI unsupervised.

Based on: https://qeludra.com/blog/fast-food-vs-slow-science-traveling-at-the-speed-of-our-souls-with-ai

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 AI

Template (German): Vertraulichkeitserklärung mit KI Nutzung

Template (English): Informed Consent when AI tools are used

Privacy and Security Fact Sheets for QInsights

Data Protection and Data Security at QInsights

QInsights: Privacy and Securitiy Fact Sheet

Geman

Datenschutzbezogene Angaben zur Nutzung von QInsights

QInsights: Steckbrief zum Datenschutz

In this episode, Lisa and Tom discuss the article: Conversational Analysis with AI - CA to the Power of AI: Rethinking Coding in Qualitative Analysis

written by Dr Susanne Friese, pre-print April 27, 2025.

If you are curious to try out QInsights, to see how you can put the method into action, you can register for a free account here

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?

Blog

Webinar Recording (YouTube)

Join us for a special live edition of the AI-in-Qualitative-Research podcast, where René van der Valk and I reflect on a transformative year in qualitative research and AI. Set against a cozy fireside backdrop with a Scottish twist with a touch of whiskey (watch to the end), we explore my learnings, and key takeaways from 2024. 🎙️❄️

Links:

Podcast Episode with Christin Silver

Our own AI-Powered App that was released in 2024

This podcast is based an article - yet to be published on the QualAI blog of the CAQDAS networking project. The title of the blog will be: "Embracing the Paradigm Shift: Moving Beyond Coding in Qualitative Research".

Listen what Lisa and Tom have to say about it.

Curious about how to ethically leverage AI in qualitative research? This episode dives into the questions asked by researchers during a recent webinar on this critical topic.

Dr. Susanne Friese answered all questions, and our AI hosts, Lisa and Tom, unpack these responses with their own unique perspectives.

💡 The following questions are explored:

Are journals able to detect if a section of a manuscript/ paper was written with AI tool? if Yes, how?

How secure is it to use the ChatGPT Team/Enterprise plan? They promote it by saying that 'user business data is not used to train their models.'

Does it mean if the researcher writes his own PROMPTS then it can be considered as “ethical”?

Will the AI model be able to identify its bias if we asked it to?

Is there a risk of over-reliance on AI in decision-making?

Who is accountable for errors in AI-assisted analysis?

How do researchers ensure AI is used ethically and responsibly?

What do we do if AI claims our work to be his?

Are peer-reviewers ready to assess work using AI analysis?

What do you think about students who hardly manage to pay their tution fees. How can they afford the use of AI?

Are themes created by an AI "OBJECTIVE"? Can we trust outcomes?

Can we entrust the big tech companies with our data?

Will journals accept articles when researchers use AI?