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QualCoder v2

A desktop qualitative data analysis (QDA) tool that helps researchers apply semantic codes to text, audio, video, images, and PDFs — with built-in AI assistance.

Choose Your Path

Path Description
Researcher User Guide Learn how to use QualCoder for your research projects
Developer Developer Guide Understand the architecture and contribute code
AI Agent MCP API Reference Connect via MCP to automate coding tasks
Designer Design System Browse 180+ reusable PySide6 components

What Can QualCoder Do?

Feature Description
Manage Sources Import text, PDF, image, audio, and video files
Apply Codes Create codes and apply them to text selections, image regions, or time ranges
Organize Cases Group sources by participant, site, or any category
AI Assistance Get code suggestions, detect duplicates, and auto-code with AI
Import & Export REFI-QDA, RQDA, codebooks, HTML, and CSV formats
MCP Integration AI agents can read, code, and analyze your data via the MCP protocol

Quick Start

  1. Install QualCoder
  2. Create or open a project
  3. Import your sources (text, PDF, media)
  4. Create codes and start coding
  5. Set up AI features for suggestions
  1. Read the Architecture Overview
  2. Complete the Onboarding Tutorial
  3. Follow fDDD patterns: Invariants → Derivers → Events
  4. Use Design System components for UI
  1. Set up MCP connection
  2. Browse the MCP API Reference
  3. Use tools like list_codes, apply_code, suggest_codes

How It Works

graph LR
    R([Researcher]) -->|UI| App
    A([AI Agent]) -->|MCP| App

    App --> Sources[Manage Sources]
    App --> Codes[Apply Codes]
    App --> Cases[Organize Cases]
    App --> Exchange[Import & Export]

    Sources --> DB[(Project Database)]
    Codes --> DB
    Cases --> DB

Both researchers and AI agents work with the same data through different interfaces — every change by either actor is immediately visible to the other.

Technology
Desktop UI PySide6 (Qt 6)
Database SQLite (local-first)
AI Providers OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama
Agent Protocol MCP (Model Context Protocol)