About This Course
Qualitative and mixed methods research has become indispensable across development, academia, health, policy, and the private sector. Yet many professionals who conduct interviews, focus groups, document reviews, and surveys still rely on manual or fragmented approaches that are time-consuming, inconsistent, and difficult to audit. MAXQDA — one of the world's leading qualitative data analysis platforms — offers a comprehensive, integrated environment for managing and analysing complex datasets from multiple sources simultaneously.
This ten-day programme is designed for professionals who want to move beyond surface-level familiarity with MAXQDA and develop genuine analytical competency. Beginning with project setup and data organisation, the course progressively builds skills in inductive and deductive coding, thematic analysis, visual mapping, and the integration of quantitative data through MAXQDA's mixed methods tools. Participants will work with real datasets drawn from survey responses, interview transcripts, policy documents, and multimedia sources, mirroring the complexity they encounter in their own professional contexts.
TrainingComplex has designed this course around active, hands-on learning. Each module combines short conceptual inputs with structured lab sessions in which participants immediately apply new techniques to their own or provided datasets. By the end of the programme, participants will have produced a complete analytical project in MAXQDA — from raw data import through to visualised, interpreted findings — and will leave with the technical confidence and methodological grounding to apply these skills independently.
Whether you are evaluating development programmes, conducting academic research, undertaking market research, or producing policy evidence, this course will sharpen your ability to handle qualitative complexity with precision, transparency, and efficiency.
Who Should Attend
- Research officers and analysts in NGOs, development agencies, and government ministries
- Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) specialists
- Academic researchers and postgraduate students conducting qualitative or mixed methods studies
- Public health researchers and programme evaluators
- Policy analysts and social scientists
- Consultants managing multi-method research and evaluation assignments
- Journalists and investigative analysts working with large volumes of textual data
- Human resources professionals conducting organisational assessments and workforce studies
Learning Objectives
- Navigate MAXQDA's interface and configure projects for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research
- Import and manage diverse data types including text documents, PDFs, transcripts, images, audio, video, and survey data
- Develop and apply inductive and deductive coding frameworks using MAXQDA's coding tools
- Conduct thematic, content, and framework analyses systematically within the software
- Utilise MAXMaps to create conceptual models, code maps, and visual representations of analytical findings
- Apply the Segment Retrieval and Code Matrix Browser to compare coded data across cases and groups
- Integrate quantitative variables and survey responses using the Mixed Methods module and Joint Displays
- Use the MAXQDA Stats module for basic descriptive and frequency analysis of quantitative data
- Conduct literature reviews and manage bibliographic sources using MAXQDA's literature review functions
- Apply team collaboration features to manage multi-researcher coding projects with intercoder reliability checks
- Produce professional outputs including reports, codebooks, and visual exhibits suitable for publication or client delivery
- Evaluate the methodological rigour and trustworthiness of a MAXQDA-based analysis
- Adapt MAXQDA workflows to specific research designs including grounded theory, phenomenology, and evaluation frameworks
Course Modules
Module 1: Introduction to MAXQDA and Qualitative Research Foundations
- Overview of MAXQDA's interface, panels, and navigation logic
- Positioning MAXQDA within qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research paradigms
- Setting up a new project: file structure, naming conventions, and project settings
- Understanding MAXQDA's core objects: documents, document groups, codes, and memos
- Configuring display preferences, toolbar layouts, and panel arrangements to suit individual analytical workflows
- Comparing MAXQDA's capabilities and data handling logic with other qualitative analysis tools such as NVivo and Atlas.ti
Module 2: Data Import and Document Management
- Importing text documents, PDFs, Word files, and web pages into MAXQDA
- Managing audio and video files: transcription links and multimedia segments
- Importing images and handling visual data sources
- Organising document groups and assigning document variables for structured comparison
- Importing and working with focus group transcripts and interview data with multiple speaker attributions
- Using the Document System to track data provenance, version history, and source metadata across a project
Module 3: Developing a Coding Framework
- Inductive coding: open coding and emergent category development
- Deductive coding: applying a pre-defined code system based on theory or evaluation frameworks
- Creating, editing, merging, and reorganising codes in the Code System panel
- Using subcodes, code colours, and code weights to add analytical nuance
- Developing a hybrid coding approach that combines inductive and deductive strategies within a single project
- Documenting code definitions and decision rules in code memos to ensure consistent application throughout analysis
Module 4: Coding Techniques and Efficiency Tools
- Segment coding, in-vivo coding, and emoticodes for attitudinal data
- Using the coding toolbar, keyboard shortcuts, and drag-and-drop coding for efficiency
- Autocode functions: dictionary-based autocoding and sentiment autocoding
- Reviewing and correcting coded segments using the Code Coverage and Overview tools
- Applying paraphrase coding to condense and summarise large volumes of qualitative data without losing segment links
- Using the Coding Query function to retrieve segments based on complex logical combinations of codes and document variables
Module 5: Thematic and Content Analysis in MAXQDA
- Conducting thematic analysis using MAXQDA's iterative coding workflow
- Content analysis with frequency counts and category-based segment retrieval
- Framework analysis: organising data within a structured analytical matrix
- Writing and linking analytical memos to codes, documents, and segments
- Using the Summary Grid to compile and compare participant-level summaries across key thematic categories
- Distinguishing between semantic and latent coding approaches and applying each appropriately within the MAXQDA environment
Module 6: Segment Retrieval and Cross-Case Comparison
- Using the Retrieved Segments window to gather and review coded data
- Code Matrix Browser: visualising code distribution across documents and groups
- Code Relations Browser: exploring co-occurrence of codes across the dataset
- Comparison of document groups using the Group Comparison and Crosstab functions
- Filtering retrieved segments by document variables to isolate subgroup patterns and facilitate targeted cross-case analysis
- Exporting segment retrieval results and comparison outputs to structured tables for reporting and further analytical review
Module 7: Visual Analysis with MAXMaps
- Introduction to MAXMaps: types of maps and their analytical purposes
- Building a Code Map to visualise relationships between codes and subcodes
- Creating a Concept Map to represent theoretical or analytical models
- Using the Document Portrait and Code Theory Model for case-level visual summaries
- Constructing a Co-occurrence Map to graphically display the frequency and strength of code co-occurrences across the dataset
- Annotating and layering map elements with memos and labels to communicate analytical reasoning directly within the visual output
Module 8: Mixed Methods Integration
- Importing survey data from Excel, SPSS, and online survey tools into MAXQDA
- Assigning and analysing quantitative variables alongside qualitative codes
- Using the Mixed Methods module: Crosstabs, Typology Tables, and Joint Displays
- Triangulation strategies: combining qualitative themes with quantitative patterns for integrated findings
- Building a Joint Display that presents qualitative coded themes and corresponding quantitative results side by side for transparent mixed methods reporting
- Using document variables as grouping criteria to segment qualitative data by demographic or survey-derived categories and compare thematic patterns across groups
Module 9: MAXQDA Stats and Quantitative Support Functions
- Overview of the MAXQDA Stats workspace and its relationship to the main project
- Descriptive statistics and frequency analysis for document variables and coded segments
- Visualising quantitative data: bar charts, histograms, and scatter plots within MAXQDA Stats
- Exporting Stats outputs for integration with qualitative findings in mixed methods reports
- Running cross-tabulation and chi-square analyses within MAXQDA Stats to test associations between document variables and coded categories
- Interpreting code frequency data as quantitative indicators of thematic salience and weighting their significance within a mixed methods argument
Module 10: Literature Review and Bibliographic Management
- Importing and annotating academic literature and grey literature within MAXQDA
- Coding literature sources alongside primary data for integrated literature-informed analysis
- Using the Smart Publisher and summary functions to synthesise literature findings
- Organising a literature review project: structuring themes, arguments, and evidence links
- Applying the Literature Review Matrix to map theoretical concepts and empirical findings across multiple sources in a structured comparative format
- Using paraphrase and summary grids to generate systematic, exportable overviews of coded literature that support manuscript and report writing
Module 11: Team Projects and Intercoder Reliability
- Setting up and managing team projects with multiple researchers in MAXQDA
- Merging team projects: reconciling codes, memos, and segments from different analysts
- Calculating intercoder agreement using Cohen's Kappa and percentage agreement in MAXQDA
- Establishing a collaborative coding protocol to ensure consistency across team members
- Conducting structured intercoder reliability rounds: selecting test segments, independently coding, and systematically comparing results before full data analysis
- Resolving coding discrepancies through consensus meetings and updating the shared codebook to reflect agreed interpretive decisions
Module 12: Reporting, Exporting, and Presenting Findings
- Generating codebooks, segment reports, and summary tables for client or academic audiences
- Exporting MAXMaps, charts, and visualisations in publication-ready formats
- Using the MAXQDA Report function to compile structured analytical outputs
- Presenting qualitative findings: structuring evidence-based narratives supported by MAXQDA exhibits
- Customising segment report templates to include relevant document variables, code weights, and researcher annotations for context-rich deliverables
- Adapting export formats and evidence presentation conventions to meet the requirements of different audience types, including funders, peer reviewers, and organisational stakeholders
Module 13: Methodological Rigour, Capstone Project, and Next Steps
- Evaluating trustworthiness in qualitative analysis: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability
- Auditing an analytical trail: using memos, codebooks, and MAXQDA logs as methodological documentation
- Capstone project presentations: participants share completed MAXQDA projects and receive structured feedback
- Planning post-training application: adapting MAXQDA workflows to participants' own research and evaluation contexts
- Reflecting on researcher positionality and its influence on coding decisions, and documenting reflexive memos as a transparency mechanism within MAXQDA
- Identifying MAXQDA update resources, user community forums, and advanced training pathways to support continued professional development beyond the course
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have a basic understanding of research or evaluation concepts such as data collection, interviews, or surveys. Prior experience using MAXQDA is not required, though familiarity with qualitative research methods will be beneficial. Each participant must bring a laptop with MAXQDA 2024 (or the latest available version) installed — a free 14-day trial licence is available from the MAXQDA website for those who do not hold a full licence.
Training Methodology
- Guided software lab sessions in which participants work through structured analytical tasks using provided or own datasets in MAXQDA
- Short methodology briefings connecting each software feature to underlying qualitative and mixed methods research principles
- Coded transcript exercises using real interview and focus group data to practise inductive and deductive coding approaches
- Peer coding comparison exercises to explore intercoder agreement and calibrate coding frameworks within small groups
- Case-based analysis challenges drawn from development, health, and policy research contexts requiring participants to select and justify appropriate MAXQDA tools
- MAXMaps visualisation workshops where participants construct and refine conceptual maps representing their emerging analytical findings
- Mixed methods integration practicals combining survey export data with qualitative codes using MAXQDA's Joint Display and Stats modules
- Reflective analytical memos written within MAXQDA to develop interpretive habits and document analytical decision-making
- Group critique sessions in which participants present interim findings and receive structured peer and facilitator feedback
- A cumulative capstone project running across the ten days, culminating in a complete MAXQDA analytical project with codebook, visualisations, and a brief written analytical narrative
Organisational Benefits
- Organisations gain staff who can manage qualitative data analysis with greater speed, consistency, and auditability
- Research and evaluation reports produced by trained staff carry stronger methodological credibility with donors, peer reviewers, and oversight bodies
- Teams reduce time spent on manual coding and data management, freeing resources for interpretation and dissemination
- Institutions can standardise their analytical workflows across project teams using shared MAXQDA project files and codebooks
- Mixed methods capacity enables organisations to triangulate findings more rigorously, strengthening evidence quality
- Professionals who publish or present research gain a competitive advantage through polished, software-generated visualisations and exhibits
- Organisations conducting multi-site evaluations benefit from MAXQDA's collaboration tools, enabling consistent coding across geographically dispersed teams
- Staff confidence in handling sensitive qualitative data responsibly is enhanced through structured data management practices taught in the course
Where Is MAXQDA for Qualitative and Mixed Methods Analysis Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Cape Town, Lagos, Mombasa, Nakuru, Dubai, Kigali, Kampala, Riyadh, Dar es Salaam, Naivasha, Accra, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Arusha, Pretoria, Kisumu, Nairobi, Zanzibar, Abuja, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
28 Sept 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,600 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 5,000 |
| Mombasa, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 230,000 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 8,200 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,600 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 9,000 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,600 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
KES 240,000 |
| Accra, Ghana |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
USD 7,600 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 6 Nov 2026 |
USD 7,000 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 4,800 |
| Arusha, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026 |
USD 4,200 |
+234 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior experience with MAXQDA to attend this course?
No prior MAXQDA experience is required. The course begins with a thorough introduction to the software's interface and project setup. However, participants with some familiarity with qualitative research methods will find it easier to contextualise the analytical techniques covered.
What version of MAXQDA should I have installed on my laptop?
We recommend MAXQDA 2024 or the latest available version. If you do not hold an institutional or personal licence, you can download a free 14-day trial from the MAXQDA website before the course begins. Participants are responsible for ensuring the software is installed and functional on their laptops before Day 1.
Will I receive a certificate upon completion?
Yes. Participants who attend and complete the full ten-day programme will receive a Certificate of Completion from TrainingComplex. This certificate documents your proficiency in qualitative and mixed methods analysis using MAXQDA and can be used for professional development records or portfolio purposes.
Is this course suitable for both academic researchers and practitioner evaluators?
Absolutely. The course has been designed to serve both audiences. Academic participants will find the thematic analysis, literature review, and rigour modules particularly relevant, while practitioner evaluators will benefit strongly from the mixed methods integration, framework analysis, and reporting modules.
Can I work on my own research data during the course?
Yes, and we actively encourage it. While the course provides structured datasets for all exercises, participants are welcome to bring their own anonymised project data and apply the techniques they learn to real analytical challenges from their own work. This accelerates skill transfer and makes the learning immediately applicable.
