Qualitative data is more than transcripts: it includes pauses, silences, spatial arrangements, and fieldnotes, and researchers must make those materials auditable. The primary keyword "qualitative data" describes this broader set of evidential materials that Sezai Doruk Soyata discusses in the LSE Impact article published on 10 August 2026. This post explains what the LSE piece says, why those non-textual elements matter, and how AI-enabled qualitative research workflows can preserve context while scaling transcription and coding.
Key Takeaways
According to the LSE Impact article by Sezai Doruk Soyata on 10 August 2026, qualitative data includes transcripts plus contextual materials such as silences, hesitations, spatial arrangements, and fieldnotes (LSE Impact).
- Sezai Doruk Soyata argues in LSE Impact on 10 August 2026 that "an interview is not simply a container for answers, " and that pauses and hesitations can be evidence when systematically recorded.
- Sezai Doruk Soyata writes on 10 August 2026 that fieldnotes convert context into evidence by recording atmosphere, off‑recorder remarks, and spatial cues across sites.
- Sezai Doruk Soyata warns in LSE Impact on 10 August 2026 that AI tools can speed transcription and coding but "cannot, on their own, reliably determine how contextual details become analytically meaningful."
What Happened: How LSE Impact frames qualitative data
Answer: The LSE Impact blog post by Sezai Doruk Soyata (published 10 August 2026) broadens the definition of qualitative data beyond transcripts to include silences, spatial arrangements, informal conversations, and fieldnotes.
According to LSE Impact, interview recordings and transcripts remain central but are incomplete because "participants may pause, hesitate to answer, answer indirectly, laugh, lower their voice, change the subject or speak in unusually general terms, " and those behaviors can become analytic evidence when compared across cases.
According to LSE Impact, fieldnotes are a crafted form of evidence because they document who was present, what the space looked like, and what the researcher noticed after the event, not simply private impressions.
Implications for qualitative researchers and UX teams
Answer: Researchers and UX teams should treat fieldnotes, silences, and spatial cues as analyzable data and design processes that record and audit those materials.
According to LSE Impact on 10 August 2026, systematic recording means keeping consistent fieldnote templates, annotating transcripts with time-stamped observations, and documenting when and why an absence or silence was treated as evidence.
According to LSE Impact, transparency can include anonymised sharing where possible or explicit notes explaining what cannot be shared for ethical reasons.
How Evidano Helps: map problems to AI-enabled solutions
Problem: Context gets lost when qualitative data is reduced to transcripts
Answer: Researchers often lose context when audio is transcribed and only quotations are retained.
Evidano is an AI-powered qualitative data analysis platform that helps researchers analyze interviews, open-ended surveys, and documents. Evidano can ingest audio, transcripts, fieldnotes, and observation logs so teams keep context attached to text.
Solution: Attach and audit contextual metadata
Answer: Attach time stamps, researcher observations, and spatial notes to recordings and transcripts as structured metadata.
Evidano features structured import and annotation workflows that preserve fieldnote entries alongside transcripts, and users can export an audit trail showing who added each observation and when. See the Evidano features page for details (Evidano Features).
Solution: Use AI for consistent transcription while keeping human judgment
Answer: Automate routine transcription, then use human review to decide which contextual cues are analytically meaningful.
Evidano offers transcription tools with custom dictionaries and PII redaction to speed capture, and teams can flag hesitations or off‑recorder comments during review so AI-assisted coding preserves those signals (Evidano Speech to Text).
FAQ: qualitative data
What counts as qualitative data?
Answer: Qualitative data includes transcripts, quotations, fieldnotes, silences, pauses, spatial arrangements, and informal conversations when those elements are systematically recorded and compared.
According to LSE Impact on 10 August 2026, the key criterion is that researchers show how these observations were used in analysis, via audit trails or clear methodological notes.
Can AI determine which silences or hesitations are meaningful?
Answer: No, AI alone cannot reliably determine the analytic meaning of silences or hesitations.
According to LSE Impact on 10 August 2026, AI tools can assist with transcription and pattern detection, but judgment about meaning depends on methodological transparency and the researcher’s field knowledge.
How should I record fieldnotes so they count as evidence?
Answer: Record fieldnotes promptly, use consistent templates, time-stamp observations, and link notes to specific recordings or transcript segments.
According to LSE Impact, revisiting and comparing fieldnotes across sites turns impressions into evidence, and explanatory notes about what cannot be shared improve transparency.
How can teams balance transparency with confidentiality in sensitive qualitative work?
Answer: Be explicit about what can be shared, anonymise carefully, and document why some materials remain private.
According to LSE Impact on 10 August 2026, transparency does not always mean public release; it can mean clear internal audit trails and methodological notes that justify claims.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Answer: The LSE Impact piece on 10 August 2026 clarifies that qualitative data is broader than transcripts and that researchers must make contextual moves into evidence visible.
Sezai Doruk Soyata writes in LSE Impact that researchers should document when and why silences, absences, and fieldnotes become analytical claims.
If your team needs to retain context while scaling transcription, consider tools that combine automated capture with structured metadata and audit trails. Learn more about tools and get started today by signing up: Try Evidano for free.
Topics
- qualitative data
- what counts as data in qualitative research
- AI qualitative analysis
- fieldnotes as data
- qualitative data definition
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