AI-Enhanced Qualitative Research: Insights from Adele Clarke’s Situational Analysis of TED Talks

Authors

Natalija Mazeikiene, Vytautas Magnus University
Judita Kasperiuniene, Vytautas Magnus UniversityFollow

Abstract

This study explores the integration of ChatGPT-4 into the qualitative research process, focusing on the methodology of Situational Analysis by Adele Clarke and analysing TED Talks transcripts. Findings show ChatGPT's ability to process data quickly in initial coding, formulating broader categories reflecting Clarke's complexity of “situation,” recognising human and non-human elements, discourses, debates, and issues, temporal and spatial. In analysing data for different map types (situational, social worlds and arenas, positional), ChatGPT-4 “understands” their different analytical purposes, recognising different levels of abstraction and theoretical structuring. The research highlighted the challenges for generative AI in translating complex theoretical frameworks into situational maps and visual representations and underlined the importance of effective prompting strategies. Also, the study identified several roles for generative AI in qualitative research, including co-analyst, consultant and trainer, highlighting the central role of human researchers in decision making and interpretation.

Keywords

AI- enhanced qualitative analysis, ChatGPT-4, computer-assisted qualitative data analysis, GenAI, situational analysis, situational maps, social worlds & arenas maps, TED Talks

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Judita Kasperiuniene (ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6851-7637) is an Associate Professor and Senior Researcher at the Educational Research Institute, Educational Academy, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania, where she leads the research group “Educational Innovation and Change.” She is also the Head of the System Analysis Department at the Faculty of Informatics, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. In her work, Judita focuses on issues of educational innovations (EdTech), VR/AR and serious games in social settings, and the intersections of education, communication, and new technologies. Please direct correspondence to judita.kasperiuniene@vdu.lt

Dr. Natalija Mazeikiene is a Professor at the Department of Social Work and Chief Researcher at the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. She holds a Ph.D. in education with an academic background in philosophy, alongside extensive research in sociology, education, communication, including critical and poststructural theory. Her academic interests also include innovative approaches in qualitative methodology.

Acknowledgements

The publication is a part of the project "Strengthening the R&D activities of the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities (SOCMTEP).” The project is funded by the Research Council of Lithuania and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania, Contract No S-A-UEI-23-13 (2023-12-27).

Publication Date

10-20-2024

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7652

Recommended APA Citation

Mazeikiene, N., & Kasperiuniene, J. (2024). AI-enhanced qualitative research: Insights from Adele Clarke’s situational analysis of TED Talks. The Qualitative Report, 29(9), 2502-2526. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7652