Refining the Conceptual Model with Software Support: Defining Categories for Collaboration Networks Analysis

Abstract

The need to construct and refine a conceptual model was identified in order to achieve two objectives: (1) to have a clear and functional communication tool for the collaborative work of a dispersed research team; (2) to have a data analysis tool, clearly structured for use in several projects but with a transversal theme (Collaboration Networks). A software (webQDA) was selected that provides a collaborative and ubiquitously distributed (web-based) environment, which is simple and intuitive to use, and suitable to integrate the various projects that the team is developing. This article focuses on the task of refining the conceptual model that structures the team’s various projects under the umbrella theme called Collaboration Networks. After the introduction, we present the methodological trajectory of the research group and the methodology for the refinement of the conceptual tool.