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Sociological publications: book reviews

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (2023): aTrain, převod nahrávek mluvené řeči na text s využitím AI [aTrain, transcribing recorded speech to text with the help of AI]. Biograf, (77), Available at http://www.biograf.org/clanek.html?id=1109

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I discuss a new program suitable for qualitative researchers that automatically transcribes recorded speech into text. It is based on the Whisper transcription model from OpenAI. Resulting transcriptions sensitively balance accuracy and readability, and surpass the work of average hired human transcribers in quality. A particular advantage for qualitative research is that the program does not send the data to remote servers for processing; everything happens on the local computer.

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (2021): Konec hermeneutiky? Atlas.ti, verze devátá. [The end of hermeneutics? Atlas.ti, version 9]. Biograf, 73-74: 233-246

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It is argued that the new version of this software package for qualitative analysis continues in a problematic direction (taken already in version 8). Despite claims about improved workflow, the program interface remains confusing and difficult to use. It requires too many clicks, its setting options are almost zero (impossible to define window background colours, completely missing network views options). Above all, however, it turns out that some of the program capabilities lost with the transition to version 8 in 2016 have not come back (yet). Even after five years, despite original promises, the program does not allow synchronized work with sound recordings and their transcripts (Windows version). What a shame. I also show that the program gradually weakens the emphasis on hermeneutic work with text (various modes of reading and writing) in favor of the easiest possible text encoding. It happens by means of subtle details in respective procedures. As a result, Atlas.ti (projects of which were once called “hermeneutic units”) loses its former uniqueness among other CAQDAS programs.

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (2020): Existence na mnoho způsobů: Vejde se do tabulky? [Existence multiple: How does it fit in the table?]. Biograf, 71-72: 93-104

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An inquiry into modes of existence: An anthropology of the moderns (AIME) is an important recent book by Bruno Latour, published in 2013. It presents yet another attempt at explaining Latour’s sociological or anthropological approach, connected to so called actor-network theory (ANT). The book seeks to correct misunderstandings about this increasingly popular approach and pave the way for more "diplomatic" negotiations on what we as researchers try to say about the world. Without the context of Latour's all life's work, this book is not always easy to understand. That is why, to offer an outline of the AIME’s argument, I start with a brief review of this context. At the end of the paper, I come with a critical discussion. I suggest that the concept of modes of existence, as it is presented in the book, seems diverted from the former Latour’s sensitivity toward reality “in action”. Thanks to the AIME book, one can perhaps understand the differences between the imagined modes of existence, but it remains somewhat unclear and, in fact, invisible how they eventually become more or less distinct in practice, i.e., how issues become (or not) political, religious or scientific. Instead, in AIME, the world as if turns into rows and columns of a table.

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (2017): Rozpaky nad inovacemi: ATLAS.ti, verze osmá [Embarrassment over innovations: ATLAS.ti, v8]. Biograf, 65-66: 103-115

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In Czech only

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (2011): Aby se pracovalo pěkněji: ATLAS.ti, verze sedmá [Making the interface nicer and more workable: ATLAS.ti, v7]. Biograf (56): 91-109

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KONOPÁSEK, Z. (2009): Zapomeňte na pouhé transkripty: Atlas.ti, šestá verze [Forget the work with transcripts only: Atlas.ti, the sixth version]. Biograf, (48): 95-113

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A new version of Atlas.ti, the superior programme for computer assisted qualitative analysis, was released at the very end of February 2009. In this extensive review I discuss mainly two key innovation brought by this sixth version: (1) the support of PDF files; and (2) the possibility to associate and synchronize audio or video recordings with respective textual transcripts. The former of these innovations provides the opportunity to directly use vast amounts of scholarly sources available in PDF for analytical purposes in Atlas.ti. The support of PDF also allows practically any kind of document to be used within Atlas.ti, since anything that can be printed from our computers can be easily converted into PDF, with all the graphics and formatting, by means of so called virtual PDF printers. The latter innovation is important because it offers an opportunity to reshape our habits related to transcritions of recorded data. In fact, now we can produce transcripts that speak. This feature of the new version is related to the possibility of making transcriptions directly from within the programme.

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (2005): Aby myšlení bylo dobře vidět: Nad novou verzí programu Atlas.ti [Making our thinking visible: A review of the new version of Atlas.ti]. Biograf, (37): 89-109

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With references to my review of the software package from 1997, I discuss the newly released version of Atlas.ti, an advanced CAQDAS (computer assisted qualitative data analysis software) representative. Who is this software tool good for and why? What are the main principles of analytic work with the programme? What is new in this version? Also, I mention features still missing in the programme and whether or not to upgrade from previous version.

BITRICH, T. / KONOPÁSEK, Z. (2001): Transcriber - pohodlnější přepisování, a možná i něco navíc [Transcriber: Easier transcribing and even more]. Biograf, (24): 125-146 (available online at http://www.biograf.org/clanky/clanek.php?clanek=v2412)

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KONOPÁSEK, Z. (2000): When science and the state are less powerful than one might expect. Imprints, 4 (3): 260-269

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Review of: SCOTT, J. C. (1998): Seeing like a state: How certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed. New Haven & London: Yale University Press

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (1999): Horníci a problém prostředí: Ideologie, ekologie, sociologie [Miners and the problem of environment: Ideology, ecology, sociology]. Biograf (20): 85-97

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Review of: MUSIL, L. (1999): Těžba uhlí, problém prostředí, modernita: jak ovlivnila ekologická výzva organizaci jedné ostravské šachty. Brno: Masarykova univerzita & Georgetown University

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (1998): Staré ortodoxie, nové ortodoxie: kvalitativní výzkum na prahu příštího století (review) [Old orthodoxies, new orthodoxies: Qualitative research for the next century]. Biograf, (14): 63-75

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Review of the book: DENZIN, N.K. (1997): Interpretive ethnography: Ethnographic practices for the 21st century. Thousand Oaks: Sage. 325 p. ISBN 0-8039-7299-7

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (1997): Co si počít s počítačem v kvalitativním výzkumu: program ATLAS/ti v akci [Using computers in qualitative research: ATLAS/ti in action]. Biograf (12): 71-110

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KONOPÁSEK, Z. (1995): Sociologovy hrátky s (ne)modernitou: “Omyly” a selhání Jana Kellera [A sociologist's playing with (non)modernity: "Mistakes" and failures of Jan Keller]. S-Obzor, 4 (4): 76-89

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Recenze knihy: KELLER, J. (1995): Dvanáct omylů sociologie [Twelve mistakes of sociology]. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (1994): The auto/biographical I (by Liz Stanley). Biograf Bulletin, (2): 27-31

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Review of: STANLEY, L. (1992): The auto/biographical I: The theory and practice of feminist auto/biography. Manchester: Manchester University Press

KONOPÁSEK, Z. (1993): Další tvář meta-sociologie, aneb k sociologickým konstrukcím reality [Another face of meta-sociology, or: towards sociological constructions of reality]. Sociológia, 25 (6): 615-621

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A review of ATKINSON, P. (1990): The ethnographic imagination: Textual constructions of reality. London: Routledge

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