Qualitative data redux

I've been asked to chair a session at the annual Big Conference for Data Library People in May. That is good; it makes it look like I'm going there to network, be professionally productive and pad my scholarly resume rather than because it's a chance at a subsidized vacation with a bunch of interestingly odd people who like data and tell dirty jokes.

However, the session they've asked me to chair is the one on qualitative data. Pretty much everything that I know about qualitative data was summed up in an earlier blog post where I noted that, as far as I could tell, qualitative analysis software doesn't actually do anything, or at least nothing that I'd consider analysis. I'm still waiting to be enlightened on that.

I wonder if this invitation is a result of one of those bits of cosmic irony, or if one of the conference organisers has been reading my blog.