Key Points: Chapter 15 Analyzing Qualitative Data

Analyzing qualitative data—i.e, coding—has many of you frustrated.  It shouldn’t because it’s really no different than what you’ve already in essays for other courses—namely, present a reasonable argument based on evidence.

By way of quick overview, we have three basic stages of coding: open, axial, and selective.  Keep in mind my “funnel” metaphor from lecture:  each stage of coding is meant to distill or refine the bulk data into a more concise understanding of the phenomenon under study.

Open codes are the first pass through qualitative data where we “boil down” or summarize the information.  Remember we will have LOTS of open codes.  And remember that we open code with reference to your specific research question.

Axial codes are where we begin to make linkages between open codes, either by grouping together like codes or by organizing codes that are related in some pattern.  For example, in the lecture slides we noticed that “loneliness” and “desire for company” were like codes, while “conflict” and “moving out of parents house” were patterned because one led to the other.

Selective coding is where we try to identify a core category around which the bulk of the information will fit.  The goal is to locate a concept or theme that explains a good chunk of what’s going on in the axial codes.  There could be more than one selective code since transcripts cover a lot of material.

Once we’re done coding, we turn to analytic memo writing, which basically means we develop a theoretical explanation.  Now we’re stepping back to reflect upon and interpret what we see in our data thanks to these successive coding stages.  Ideally, we produce some kind of general causal explanation, however rough it may be.  The important point is that the explanation is supported by our coding; it must also make sense in the context of the larger interview data or field notes.

It’s the last part that has many of you especially concerned.  This is why I started this entry by saying that this coding process is much like any essay you’ve ever had to write:  make a logical argument based on evidence that fits the topic.  You’ll be evaluated mostly on your understanding of the process and how well you demonstrate systematically coding qualitative data.  How well you’re able to reflect upon that process and present an analysis is a much smaller part of the evaluation.