AI in Qualitative Research: Promise, Pitfalls, and the Human Element

Can AI really handle coding qualitative data, or is it just a shortcut that costs you in the end? In this episode, Stacey and Bill sit down with Dr. Asher Beckwitt, a researcher with 26 years of experience across 5,000 qualitative and mixed-methods studies, to unpack where AI genuinely helps with qualitative data analysis, and where it falls short. Asher walks through choosing compliant, privacy-safe AI tools, why human verification of AI outputs is non-negotiable, and how to document AI use for transparency and IRB compliance (including the often-overlooked step of fully deleting data from AI systems). They also break down the differences between grounded theory, thematic analysis, and phenomenology, and where AI fits (or doesn't) in each.  A must-listen for researchers weighing AI tools against methodological rigor in their qualitative research projects.  This episode also touches a fish consumption study Asher led for a tribal nation using community-based participatory research methods. This was a separate, non-AI project worth a listen on its own. Dr. Asher Beckwitt can be reached at asherbeckwitt@gmail.com or www.asherconsult.com. A summary of this episode can be found here.  The podcast music was written and produced by Stacey Merola. The podcast artwork was created by Zoe Targino.