Qualitative Data – Coding

Qualitative data collected from my focus groups has to be analysed and interpreted to establish the common patterns throughout (Miles et. al., 2014; Creswell, 2013; Buchanan & Bryman, 2012; Flick, 2007).

This is referred to as coding or categorising (interchangeable terms) and is a key stage in qualitative research (Bryman, 2012) and the categories must be applicable to and indicated by the data (Buchanan & Bryman, 2012). Miles et. al., (2014) sums it up nicely by stating Codes are first assigned to data chunks to detect recurring patterns… …similar codes are clustered together to create a smaller number of categories.

Coding is normally a two stage process, basic (or open) coding helps distinguish overall themes and detailed (or axial) coding identifies more specific trends, interrelationships and patterns (Miles et. al., 2014; Creswell, 2013; Buchanan & Bryman, 2009; Flick, 2007). By using this technique I will be able to interlink the data received from the questionnaire and focus groups giving me a comprehensive understanding (Flick, 2007) of the data.

Data needs to be aggregated or clustered into small categories for clarification (Creswell, 2013; Bell, 2010) which provides interpretation. Each category (or code) needs to be assigned by the researcher, working all the time to combine and reduce the number of categories into families of related categories (Creswell, 2013; Bryman, 2012). Denscombe (2010) states that the data needs to be broken down into relevant categories, the codes applied to them and during analysis the researcher count the number of times that patteren occurs. Whilst coding the data from my questionnaire and focus groups there were definite themes that appeared and could be categorised into a family theme; for example PMDS – PeopolePoint –  Ethics Forms – leave arrangement were all present in the data and these could all be categorised under Human Resource Management issues.

Codes are either prefigured or emergent from the data ((Miles et. al., 2014; Creswell, 2013; Bryman, 2012). Im my coding I took the themes as they emerged from the data and grouped them during and after analysis. It was interesting to note there were similar themes appearing from the questionnaire and the focus groups. I used triangulation to link these themes.

References

Bell J., (2010), Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science, Open University Press, Maidenhead.

Bryman, A. (2012), Social research methods.  4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Buchanan, D. A. & Bryman, A. (2009), The SAGE Handbook of Organizational Research Methods, SAGE, London.

Creswell, J., (2013), Qualitative Inquiry & Research Deign, London, Sage

Denscombe M., (2010), Title The good research guide: for small-scale social research projects 4th Edition, Maidenhead, Open University Press, 2010.

Flick U., (2007), Designing qualitative research, SAGE, London.

Miles, M. B., Huberman A. M., Saldana J. (2014), Qualitative Data analysis A Methods Sourcebook 3rd Edition, SAGE, London.