Signal & Noise
Skimle's resource centre dedicated to high quality analysis using modern methods
AI in qualitative research in 2026: what it does well, what it doesn't, and how to use it responsibly
AI is changing how qualitative research gets done. Learn what AI tools can and cannot do, the ethical questions to navigate, and how to use AI without sacrificing rigour.
Quantitative vs qualitative research: differences, when to use each, and what's changing 2026
Quantitative research measures; qualitative research interprets. This guide covers the key differences, a decision framework for choosing between them, and how AI is blurring the boundary.
Reflexivity in qualitative research: what it means and how to practise it
Reflexivity in qualitative research means acknowledging how the researcher's position shapes what they see and interpret. This guide covers types, practical approaches, and how to write a reflexivity ...
Mixed methods research: 4 designs, examples and when to use it
Mixed methods research combines qualitative and quantitative data to answer questions neither approach can handle alone. Learn the 4 main designs, real examples, and when mixed methods is the right ch...
Qualitative research methods: 5 main approaches and when to use each
Interviews, focus groups, ethnography, case studies, and document analysis are the five core qualitative research methods. Learn how each works and which fits your research question.
What is qualitative research? Methods, types and when to use it
Qualitative research explores meaning, experience, and context through text, interviews, and observation. Learn the main methods, when to use each, and how it differs from quantitative research.
Bias in AI-assisted qualitative analysis: what it looks like, and how to catch it
AI bias in qualitative analysis means a model's errors correlate with who said what. What the research on GPT, Llama and Claude found, and how to catch it.
What is thematic analysis? Steps, types and examples
Thematic analysis finds patterns across qualitative data. Learn the 6 steps of Braun & Clarke's method, the main types, and how AI tools are changing the process.
How to quantify qualitative data: 5 techniques, mixed methods and practical tips
Quantifying qualitative data means counting, coding and cross-tabulating themes. This guide covers 5 techniques from frequency coding to metadata cross-tabs, with practical examples.
Open-ended questions in research: how to write and analyse them
Open-ended questions let respondents answer in their own words, generating rich qualitative data. Learn when to use them, 7 principles for writing good ones, and how to analyse the responses.
Qualitative coding: what it is and 5 approaches explained
Qualitative coding labels segments of text so you can find patterns across interviews and documents. Learn the 5 main coding approaches and when to use each.
Qualitative content analysis: method overview, steps and examples
Qualitative content analysis is a systematic method for interpreting meaning in text, audio and video data. This guide covers the 3 main approaches, steps, examples, and how AI is expanding what's pos...
Good interview questions to ask: how to get the most out of any interview
The quality of your interview findings depends almost entirely on the quality of your questions. This guide covers question types, what good and bad examples look like, rapport building, and how to go...
Inductive vs deductive research: what's the difference and how to choose
Inductive research builds theory from data; deductive research tests existing theory against data. Learn the key differences, when to use each, and how abductive reasoning fits in.
Qualitative evidence synthesis: a practical guide to thematic synthesis and meta-ethnography
Qualitative evidence synthesis combines findings across published studies. This guide covers meta-ethnography, thematic synthesis, and CASP appraisal.
How to do descriptive coding in qualitative research: a step-by-step guide
Descriptive coding assigns short labels summarising what a data segment is about, not what it means. The 4 steps, how to build and size a codebook, and how descriptive coding differs from thematic and...
Interview guide: what it is, how to write one, and a ready template
An interview guide is a structured set of questions and topic areas used to run qualitative interviews consistently. Here is how to write one, what to include, and a template you can use.
How to write a thematic analysis results section: structure, examples, and common mistakes
A thematic analysis results section presents each theme as a heading, supported by 2-4 verbatim quotes with analytical commentary. This guide shows the structure, worked examples, and what reviewers l...
Content analysis vs thematic analysis: which method fits your research?
Content analysis counts and categorises text systematically; thematic analysis interprets patterns of meaning. Learn the 5 key differences and when to choose each method.
Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA): a guide for psychology and health researchers
IPA explores lived experience through small, purposive samples and deep individual case analysis. Learn when to use IPA, how the 6-step process works, and how it differs from thematic analysis.
Grounded theory methodology: a practical guide for qualitative researchers
Grounded theory generates theory from data through iterative coding and constant comparison. This guide covers the 3 main variants, the full coding process, and when to choose GT over thematic analysi...
Inductive, deductive, and abductive coding in qualitative research: when to use each
Inductive coding builds categories from data up. Deductive coding applies existing frameworks down. Abductive coding iterates between both. This guide explains when to use each — with examples.
Interview transcript analysis: a practical guide
How to analyse interview transcripts systematically — preparing data, coding approaches, building themes, and writing up. Covers manual and AI-assisted methods.
How to anonymise and pseudonymise qualitative research data: IRB-compliant de-identification of interview transcripts
Step-by-step guide to anonymising and pseudonymising qualitative interview data for IRB, GDPR, and HIPAA compliance with Skimle Anonymise. Covers identifiers, audit trails, and methods documentation.