AI-assisted literature reviewing using ATLAS.ti (1 day course - Online)

Key information

Start date:
30 January 2025
Attendance dates:

30 January 2025

Time commitment:
1 day 09.30 – 16.30
Venue:
Distance learning
Contact details:

View all sociology CPD and short courses

ATLAS.ti is a powerful software for the reviewing of literature, as well as qualitative and mixed-methods analyses of text, audio, video, survey, social media data. ATLAS.ti facilitates both smooth working with individual articles, as well as effective synthesising across all literature reviewed. Having integrated generative AI features, the software now offers new possibilities to researchers.

This one-day course provides an overview of ATLAS.ti ’s functionality and explores the latest in ATLAS.ti’s generative AI tools.  We consider moments within a literature review at which a researcher might lean on these AI tools, and the implications of doing so. This includes AI coding and intentional coding, AI summaries, AI chat with articles, and AI-powered Paper Search. 

The course combines discussion, demonstration and hands-on work, including:

  • Contextual discussions – developmental, methodological and analytical principles
  • Software Overview –interface, architecture, tools
  • Analytic Planning – ensuring analytic strategies drive the appropriate use of software tools
  • Guided Instruction – step-by-step teaching in the operation of ATLAS.ti and the use of tools for analytic tasks

During the course sample literature data are used in order to become familiar with tools, and the whole group follows common tasks together and practices exercises individually. Work is structured to provide step-by-step support. 

Please note: Some generative AI tools are integrated into ATLAS.ti Desktop v24 and ATLAS.ti Web differently. The tutor will demonstrate using ATLAS.ti 24 Desktop for Windows and will refer to other possibilities in the web version. Participants using the Desktop version 24 for MAC will find that most of the functionality is the same. Users attending with previous Desktop versions or Web versions are welcome to attend, but there are some differences with what is possible. The main part of the course will cover the functions available for the Windows version 24. For information about products see here https://atlasti.com/feature-comparison For the purposes of the course the trial version is fine, which can be accessed from here https://atlasti.com/free-trial-version   

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

  • Understand the structure of ATLAS.ti and how it can be used throughout a literature review of any type.. 
  • Navigate around the software and operate it to undertake analysis.
  • Understand the importance of analytic planning in harnessing ATLAS.ti tools powerfully.
  • Set-up an ATLAS.ti project to reflect chosen  literature review approach and change structures as a research project progresses. 
  • Identify ATLAS.ti tools that can be used to fulfil specific analytic tasks, including documents, manual, search-based and AI-generated codes, memos, quotations, maps and interrogation tools.
  • Know where to access relevant resources to support continued ATLAS.ti use. 

Course content

  • Tips for literature import and organisation
  • Exploration and familiarisation tools
  • Coding strategies – inductive, deductive approaches; manual, search-based, and generative-AI approaches.
  • Organising materials to factual characteristics such as date of publication, country in which study took place etc  to facilitate interrogation.
  • Use of writing and visualisation tools to capture reflections on literature over time
  • Querying across articles to facilitate synthesizing and outputting

Learning and teaching methods

  • Presentations
  • Demonstrations
  • Guided hands-on exercises,
  • Independent hands-on work

Assessment

none

Course leader

Dr Sarah Bulloch

Teaching Fellow

Reading list

There is no required pre-course reading. However, the following might be helpful resources with your further work with ATLAS.ti:

  • Silver, C., & Lewins, A. (2014). Using software in qualitative research: A step-by-step guide (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Woolf, N. H., & Silver, C. (2018). Qualitative analysis with ATLAS.ti: The Five-Level QDA method. NY: Routledge.

Dr Sarah Bulloch has been using and teaching CAQDAS packages for many years and is an experienced researcher. She has undertaken quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research using dedicated software and has worked in academic and applied settings. 

Entry requirements

None

This course assumes participants have a broad understanding of literature reviewing appraoches, but assumes no prior knowledge about ATLAS.ti.

Recognition of prior learning

None

This course is delivered online using Zoom. In order to attend you will need a computer (Mac or Windows) that has access to the internet, and a microphone (inbuilt or external). We encourage participants to share their image using a webcam to foster dialogue and interaction, but this is not a requirement. 

Fees and funding

Price per person:

£98

UGPN student discount

£130

Students (all non-UGPN)

£138

UGPN staff discount

£155

Education and charitable sector applicants

£230

Government and commercial sector applicants

Funding opportunities

Funding opportunities

Participants applying for a UGPN discount will need to use their University email address to be eligible.

  • North Carolina (NC) State University: @ncsu.edu 
  • University of Sāo Paulo (USP): @usp.br 
  • University of Wollongong: @uow.edu.au 
  • University of Surrey: @surrey.ac.uk

All staff and students at any of the above institutions are now eligible for the UGPN discount as part of UGPN.

How to apply

Applications will be through our on

Apply now

Terms and conditions

When you accept an offer of a place at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to comply with our policies and regulations and our terms and conditions. You are also confirming you have read and understood the University's prospective student privacy notice.

Further details of our terms and conditions will follow.

Disclaimer

This online prospectus has been prepared and published in advance of the commencement of the course. The University of Surrey has used its reasonable efforts to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content or additional costs) may occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read the full disclaimer.

Course location and contact details

Campus location

Stag Hill

Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught. 

Administrative Officer, Short Courses
Address

University of Surrey
Guildford
Surrey GU2 7XH