Biography

Christina graduated from Essex University in 1997 in Politics and Sociology, after which she came to Surrey and completed the Social Research Methods M.Sc. with distinction and she obtained her ESRC funded PhD comparing the development of school-based sex education in England and Wales and the Netherlands in 2002.

Christina has been working with the CAQDAS Networking Project on an ad hoc basis since 1998 and joined the Project formally in 2002 as part-time Resource Officer and Course Tutor. She is now the CAQDAS Networking Project Manager. 

The Project provides platforms of debate concerning the use of Computer Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS (CAQDAS). We train students and researchers in a number of CAQDAS packages, run an advisory telephone help-line, website, the ‘qualitative software' electronic discussion list and develop and teach new courses. Christina also advises and trains research teams on their use of CAQDAS software.

The CAQDAS Networking Project is currently working on a new project funded by the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM). Qualitative Innovations in CAQDAS (QUIC) explores three new breaking developments in the use of CAQDAS alongside our training and capacity building activities. The first concerns the support that software provides for integrating qualitative and quantitative data, the second the analysis of multi-stream visual data and the third the convergence of GIS and CAQDAS technology. We are developing exemplars and self-learning materials.

As well as working with the CAQDAS Networking Project, Christina has been commissioned to carry out research projects for a number of independent organisations including a collaborative Action Research Project between East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, the Centre for the Development of Health Care Policy and Practice (CDNPP) at Leeds University and the Facilities Management Graduate Centre (FMGC) at Sheffield Hallam University. Christina is also an Associate Consultant for the Centre for the Development of Nursing Policy and Practice (CDNPP) at Leeds University.

Research Interests

Qualitative Methodology

Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis

Access Grid Technology

Research Collaborations

Online QDA and Requallo

Merlien Institute 

Kwalon, Dutch Platform for Qualitative Research

Publications

Christina Silver & Jennifer Patashnick (2011) ‘Finding Fidelity : Advancing Audiovisual Analysis using Software’, FQS 12(1), Thematic Issue: Is Qualitative Software Really Comparable?

Silver C & Lewins A (2010) 'Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis' in Penelope Peterson, Eva Baker, Barry McGaw (Editors), International Encyclopedia of Education, Vol 6, pp 326-334. Oxford: Elsevier

Silver C & Fielding N (2008) Using Computer Packages in Qualitative Research, in Willig C & Stainton-Rogers W (eds.) The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research in Psychology, London, Sage Publications.

Silver C (2008) ‘Participatory Approaches to Social Research’ in Gilbert N (ed.) Researching Social Life, 3rd Edition, Sage Publications, London

Lewins A & Silver C (2007) Using Software in Qualitative Research : A Step-by-step Guide, Sage Publications, London

Hosie, A. & Silver C (2001) Overcoming the first hurdle: Young People and access to sexual
health services in Scotland, England, Finland and the Netherlands. Working Paper
presented at the European Population Conference, Helsinki, 2001
(www.vaestoliitto.fi/toimintayksikot/vaestontukimuslaitos/eapkonferenssi/abstracts.html#Papers)

O’Neill, F & Silver C (2002) ‘Improving Patients’ Hospital Experience: Team-working and the Integration of Non-clinical and Clinical Roles’, Practice Development in Health Care Vol. 1. No. 2 pp98-103

Related Links

http://caqdas.soc.surrey.ac.uk/
http://www.esht.nhs.uk/
http://www.cdhpp.leeds.ac.uk/