gaojie058/CollabCoder_system

CollabCoder is a web application that supports two coders do collaborative qualitative analysis.

CollabCoder is a one-stop, end-to-end Collaborative Qualitative Analysis (CQA) workflow that integrates Large Language Models (LLMs) into key inductive CQA stages aligned with the standard CQA process, aiming to lower the bar for adhering to a strict CQA procedure.

🐱‍💻 Preview

😊 As CollabCoder is a web application that requires collaboration between two people, we currently lack the resources to support this application. However, we are providing a sample demo for you to try! In the "Installation" section, we provide specific steps to install, run and use it on your computer.

🚀 Here is a video that introduces CollabCoder's motivation and demostration: CollabCoder's Motivation and Demo (YouTube)

⭐ Features

CollabCoder includes three-phase interfaces: independent open coding, iterative discussions, and final codebook creation.

• In independent open coding (figure 1), CollabCoder offers GPT-generated code suggestions on demand and records decision-making data (e.g. keywords and certainty) as support for their code.
• During iterative discussions (figure 2), CollabCoder promotes mutual understanding by sharing coding decision-making data within the coding team and using quantitative metrics to identify coding agreements and disagreements, aiding in consensus-building.
• In final codebook creation (figure 3), CollabCoder provides primary code group suggestions, lightening the cognitive load of finalizing the codebook.

📚 Directory

• 🐱‍💻 Preview
• ⭐ Features
• 📚 Directory
• 🔨 Installation
  • 1. 🌱 Prerequisites
    • 1.1 Install node.js
    • 1.2 Set up Python environment
    • 1.3 Create a cloud database
    • 1.4 Get an OpenAI API key
  • 2. ⬇️ Get CollabCoder Source Code
    • 2.1 Clone the repository
    • 2.2 Install frontend dependencies
    • 2.3 Install backend dependencies
  • 3. ⚙️ Environment: Add .env to backend
• 🚀 Running
  • Run the backend
  • Run the frontend
• 📦 Building
• 📖 Related Papers
• 🙋‍♀️ Code Contributors
• 📧 Contact

🔨 Installation

Please follow these steps to install CollabCoder.

1. 🌱 Prerequisites

1.1 Install node.js

Before you start setting the frontend environment, ensure node.js is installed. Open a terminal window and type node -v and npm -v to check whether you have install your Node.js and npm.

1.2 Set up Python environment

Given that some APIs require Python, you need to verify and set up the Python environment. Open a terminal window and type python --version to find out if it is already installed and which version is installed.

After checking that everything is correct, run this command:

pip install torch transformers sentence-transformers

1.3 Create a cloud database

We highly recommend use the MongoDB Atlas cloud service provided by MongoDB. Follow these steps:

• Visit Mongo Cloud and create a free database.
  • Refer to this video tutorial for guidance.
• get connection string which is the URL address of the database. E.g. mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@<cluster-url>/<database-name>?retryWrites=true&w=majority

Note:

• ensure the database is started
• ensure the database allows access from your device's IP

Save this URL address and use it later in DB_URL.

If you have other options besides MongoDB Atlas, it is ok.

1.4 Get an OpenAI API key

Get an API key from OpenAI for GPT usage.

Save this API key and use it later in OPENAI_API_KEY.

2. ⬇️ Get CollabCoder Source Code

2.1 Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/gaojie058/CollabCoder-Project.git

2.2 Install frontend dependencies

If you finish steps above and check that everything is correct, then you can run this command:

# navigate to the client directory
cd client

# install dependencies
npm install

Now the frontend environment is set up.

2.3 Install backend dependencies

Then you can start setting up the backend environment:

# switch to the backend directory
cd backend

# install dependencies
npm install

3. ⚙️ Environment: Add .env to backend

Before launching, add a .env file in the backend directory by doing the following:

NODE_ENV=development
SECRET_KEY='your secret key'
OPENAI_API_KEY='your openAI api key'
PORT = 5001
DB_URI='your mongodb database url'
PYTHON_PATH='python'

Explanation of some environment variables:

• SECRET_KEY: the key of json web token. Input any string you want, for example, "123abc" (Please do not use this one)

• PORT: the port which the server listens on

• OPENAI_API_KEY: the API Key provided by OpenAI which is required when executing a GPT API call.Mentioned in step 1.4

  for example:sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

• DB_URI: connection string mentioned in step 1.3

---

🚀 Running

Run the backend

cd backend

# Launch the backend in development mode
npm run start

Run the frontend

cd client

# Launch the frontend in development mode
npm run start

📦 Building

For production, build the frontend:

cd client

# build the frontend
npm run build

📖 Related Papers

CollabCoder: A Lower-barrier, Rigorous Workflow for Inductive Collaborative Qualitative Analysis with Large Language Models

CollabCoder: A GPT-Powered Workflow for Collaborative Qualitative Analysis

CoAIcoder: Examining the Effectiveness of AI-assisted Human-to-Human Collaboration in Qualitative Analysis

🙋‍♀️ Code Contributors

Period	Contribution	Contributors
2024.03-Present	System Refinement	Jie Gao, Jinpeng Lin
2022.10-2023.03	Primary System Building	Jie Gao, Yuchen Guo, Tianqin Zhang
2022.09-2023.02	System Ideation	Jie Gao, Simon Perrault, Yuchen Guo, Tianqin Zhang, Zheng Zhang

📧 Contact

Please contact Jie Gao (https://gaojie058.github.io/) for any questions: gaojie056@gmail.com.