3. Coding
• A word or short phrase that symbolically assigns a summative, salient, essence-capturing, and/or evocative
attribute for a portion of language-based or visual data.
• A code is a simplification of an idea or insight.
A tag or a label to data based on meanings that the researcher detects in the data.
A way to indicate that a concept has been identified from the data and that for that particular concept,
the evidence is found in a certain section of a given transcript (Ritchie & Lewis, 2003)
Allows one to index, sort, and categorize data
Sometimes referred to as a “node” or a category
• The data can consist of interview transcripts, participant observation field notes, journals, documents,
literature, artifacts, photographs, video, websites, e-mail correspondence, and so on.
• http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/24614_01_Saldana_Ch_01.pdf
4. Purpose of coding
Goal: Reduce the data
without losing meaning
Facilitate comparison of data
within (“sameness”) and
between (“different”)
categories
Allow researcher to locate
all places in the interview
where a specific topic was
discussed
Allows researcher to
understand the context in
which something was said
(e.g., spontaneous versus
prompted by interviewer, other
topics discussed in conjunction
with topic of interest)
5. Deductive vs. inductive coding
• Deductive coding
•start with a predefined set of codes, then assign those codes to
the new qualitative data.
•These codes might come from previous research, or you might
already know what themes you’re interested in analysing.
•Deductive coding is also called concept-driven coding.
•Predeveloped codebook prior to coding
*Deductively: codebook developed from a theoretical or
conceptual framework; often the result of a semi-
structured interview guide
6. Cont.
• Inductive coding
• also called open coding, starts from scratch and creates codes based
on the qualitative data itself.
• No set codebook; all codes arise directly from the data responses
*Inductively: review transcripts from contrasting groups to
understand what may be similar or different; codes come
from analysis
7. example
Deductive logic goes from a set of general premises to a specific conclusion.
All men are mortal
Socrates is a man
Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
Inductive logic starts with specific observations and draws general conclusions.
Socrates and the other 20 men I saw yesterday all had 2 legs
Therefore, men are likely have 2 legs.
http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?109231-inductive-vs-deductive
8. Open coding
• coding the material without a pre-defined code list. Instead, potential
codes emerge during the analysis process.
• an inductive approach, where the aim is to let the data speak for
itself.
9. Open coding theories
1. Grounded theory: aims to develop theoretical insights from data by
examining data and conducting coding in stages (Glaser & Strauss)
2. Thematic analysis: looks at pattens and themes focusing on what and
how things are described (Broun & Clarke, 2006)
3. Frame analysis: analyse how people understand situations and
activities. looks at images, stereotypes, metaphors, actors, messages etc.
10. Open coding process
• Helpful to read the transcripts once or twice before beginning
• Use a team of coders to gain different perspectives on the data
• Coders open code a small number (e.g., 2) of transcripts (same ones)
to build codebook. Discuss!
• Coders open code additional transcripts (e.g., 2) to test/modify the
codebook. Discuss!
• If there is general consensus on the codebook, can move on to double
coding using software (e.g., Nvivo). Doesn’t mean the codebook is set
in stone.
11. Next steps in Coding: Axial coding
Step 1: Open coding: coding words and phrases found in text
initial stage of qualitative data analysis. It is a method where data are
initially broken down and analysed to identify concepts, categories, or
themes
Step 2: Axial coding: sorting codes into some kind of order.
focused and systematic examination of data to identify relationships
between categories and subcategories identified during the open
coding
- This can be with a hierarchy (child codes) or non-hierarchial
Child code: subthemes under the umbrella of the code (also known as
“subnodes”)
