A characteristic of qualitative research is that it is dynamic. As the data collection process proceeds the researcher is required to develop ideas and categories for thinking about the records, linking them and exploring the links within the data. This, in turn, affects the ways in which future data is collected and categorised. NUD*IST facilitates this process through its "tree" structure which enables the data to be indexed in a flexible and dynamic fashion; and it encourages exploration and searching of the indexing nodes according to the developing theories of the researcher (Richards & Richards, 1991). The computer package is, in effect, a cognitive tool of the researchers -- a framework for conceptualising and managing the Action Learning Project itself.