The recording of a webinar on qualitative analysis and large language models (LLMs) is now available to watch on the NCRM website.
Five speakers explored the potential of these AI systems and the key questions facing researchers.
The panellists addressed the opportunities that LLMs present, such as offering speed and scale for processing large volumes of text data, along with potential for automating tasks like document classification and text generation.
Presenters also the discussed the implications, capabilities and challenges of using LLMs in qualitative analysis workflows.
The session critically examined risks, including issues related to data security, transparency and bias. Speakers also highlighted the potential for these tools to decrease the amount of time researchers spend with their participant data, which could affect the depth of qualitative understanding.
The case was made for a balanced approach that integrates LLMs with human expertise.
The event was organised by Qualitative Expertise at Southampton (QUEST), in partnership with NCRM, the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership and the Work Future Research Centre.
The speakers were Professor Susan Halford (University of Bristol), Professor Leslie Carr (University of Southampton), Sarah Jenner (University of Southampton), Dr Marianne Aubin Le Quéré (Princeton University), and Dr Casey Randazzo (University of California, Santa Barbara).