Qualitative research has often been characterized by a paradox: while it claims to be open to complexity, ambiguity, and the emergence of social phenomena, it frequently ends up reproducing predictable, incremental, and overly controlled analytical trajectories…

Agentic AI is particularly effective in operational and analytical support tasks that do not compromise the researcher’s interpretative autonomy, or sovereignty, so to speak. These include proposing initial codes…

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), essentially Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), into qualitative research is redefining the way we produce knowledge. Generative tools, language models, and AI agents have transformed previously time-consuming tasks…

The relationship between the Chain of Thought (CoT) prompting and the STORM tool is rooted in their common goal of enhancing capabilities…

The balanced integration between the potential of AI and the competences of researchers will be crucial to ensure that the future of educational research is more inclusive, innovative, and diverse.

WCQR2025 pre-conference panel discussion “Redefining the Qualitative Researcher’s Role in the Era of AI…”