Sekundäranalyse qualitativer Daten. Zum gegenwärtigen Stand einer neuen Forschungsstrategie.

Secondary qualitative data analysis is nearly unknown in Germany. This article aims to introduce this research strategy and the current related debate, and in so doing to contribute to its anchoring into the canon of empirical social research methods. Applying new perspectives to 'old' data offers the potential for generating new insights and theories, answering still open and specific questions as well as evaluating research results. Combining and comparing different data sets promotes a cumulative research process and the generalisability of research results. These advantages of secondary analysis can be facilitated by manifold existing tools. However, there are a number of epistemological, methodological, ethical and confidentiality issues which have to be considered. This paper first presents the opportunities presented by such a research strategy, before going on to formulate an introduction to the debate. We then address the organisational issues connected with the provision of services and establishing a data sharing culture. Finally, we introduce the further contributions of the volume, which refer to the concept of secondary analysis, to its application by means of concrete examples, as well as to the special issues and solutions surrounding this research strategy from the perspective of consulted experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]