Australian research software developer QSR International has become the first in its industry to take an authorised training program into the United Kingdom and United States.

The Melbourne based company has established a new global program where authorised US and UK trainers can now conduct local workshops on behalf of QSR.

The UK training service is headed by experienced qualitative researcher and trainer Fiona Wiltshier, who has relocated from Australia to Southport in North England. While QSR’s office in Boston, Massachusetts has rolled out the same program in the US.

QSR International CEO John Owen said this initiative complimented the company’s existing international network of independent trainers.

“This move now means that not only is QSR better positioned to meet the overwhelming demand for training in our software in the UK, Europe and North America, but we can also channel training opportunities more efficiently and proactively to other independent trainers in our software,” he said.

QSR’s authorised training program will offer workshops, one-on-one coaching, online training and in-house training sessions to universities, research companies and other organisations using its qualitative research software packages XSight and NVivo. The software is currently being used by leading academic, government, non-profit and commercial organisations worldwide, including Victoria University and market research firm Econnect Communication in Australia, Ipsos-MORI, the Chronic Poverty Research Centre and Gfk NOP in the UK; and Focused Insights and Boston’s Children’s Hospital in the US.

“In the US for example, we‘ve partnered with some of the most experienced qualitative researchers to provide high quality training directly to our customers. People like Stuart Robertson - an academic from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Mr Robertson has worked extensively with our NVivo software and presented numerous papers at leading US educational conferences.”

Mr Owen said the number of QSR training workshops conducted in the Asia Pacific region grew by 90% in the past two years. “If we compare this year’s training activities with last years, we’ve already completed 50% of our planned workshops in just the first quarter of this year alone.”

He said the firm considers this growth rate to be a global phenomenon.

“Just last month all of our UK and US based workshops were oversubscribed within days of being advertised. This is a clear indication that these regions are in need of dedicated training services to ensure we can meet demand.”

Mr Owen said in addition to QSR’s commercial and government clientele, the majority of top universities in the UK and America hold site licenses for its NVivo software and just last month, XSight was named a finalist in the upcoming UK-based MRS/ASC Technology Effectiveness Awards. Nancy Naples, Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies at the University of Connecticut, recently attended a QSR workshop.

“The workshop offered us all that we needed to get started on our research project,” she said. “It provided a streamlined and useful overview (of NVivo 7) that focused on the basics and provided an easy way to become familiar with the many excellent features of the program.”

“We expect the accessibility to training in our software to further encourage this demand,” said Mr Owen. “Our trainers are using technology like web conferencing to conveniently reach remote users and to bring together virtual groups from multiple locations.”

Mr Owen said the QSR’s office in Boston, Massachusetts had recently launched a series of eSeminars on QSR software where participants register to join a one hour web-based demonstration.

“This is a non-traditional method of engaging with our audiences, and we wondered how the eSeminars would be received by our customers. But having completed ten sessions in just five weeks, we’re fairly confident this is working for our market.

“Our website also provides facilities to make workshop participation easier - customers can not only register for a QSR workshop online, but afterwards they can come back to the website and complete a feedback form at any time.”

QSR is the largest qualitative research software developer in the world. It has the widest international network of trainers and consultants in the industry, with more than 70 trainers.

About NVivo 7 NVivo 7 is designed to handle very rich text based information, where deep levels of analysis on both small and large volumes of data are required. It removes many of the manual tasks associated with analysis, like classifying, sorting and arranging information, so more time can be dedicated to explore trends, build and test theories and ultimately arrive at answers to questions.

About XSight XSight provides a sophisticated workspace that enables users to work through their information and get to their analysis faster. It has a suite of tools that allow researchers to track themes, test theories and map their thoughts easily. XSight is ideal for testing an advertising campaign, researching new packaging and community consultation projects. You don't have to be a market researcher to use it either. Because every organization deals in information, XSight can add value in almost every setting. The software has been selected as a finalist for the MRS/ASC Technology Effectiveness Awards in the UK. This award recognises technology that contributes to the effectiveness in the delivery of research.

About QSR International QSR International is based in Doncaster, Melbourne, with offices in North America and Europe. Its flagship products – XSight and NVivo 7 – are both designed to help researchers and other people working with non-numerical data to compile, compare and make sense of their information quickly and easily. More than 350,000 users in 90 countries, from market research agencies, government bodies and universities, to tourism, urban affairs and human resources professionals, use QSR research software. Information: www.qsrinternational.com

QSR media contact: Liane Sayer-Roberts, phone: +61-2-6953 7382 +61-427 728 232, email: liane@saucecommunications.com.au.