4/11 Coding of data
Data can be coded according to categories and sub-categories identified by reading and re-reading the data collected.
Categories and sub-categories provide information relevant to the topic studied and used to help explore and clarify the research question.
Coding usually starts with a summary of the text you are examining. This kind of coding is called descriptive coding because it essentially forms a summary description of what is in the transcript or text.
This process should then move on to develop codes that go beyond description and start to categorise and analyse the data. This is called Analytic or Theoretical coding
Codes can be based on:
- Themes, Topics
- Ideas, Concepts
- Terms, Phrases
- Keywords
Coding can be flat or non- hierarchical, like a list, there are no sub-code levels. For example:
When asked to discuss 'Making use of the computers in the library', the responses included:
- European Computer Driving Licence
- Library induction tutorial
- Genealogy research
- Holiday research
- Shopping
- Visits to London
- Magazines
- Books
Or, when asked 'What kind of computer training have you received?' the responses included:
- College course
- Computer programming
- Word processing
- School
- Introduction to computers
- Self taught
- Library courses
- Online course
- ECDL
- No training
It can also use tree or hierarchical coding which, like a tree, has a branching arrangement of sub-codes. Ideally, codes in a tree relate to their parents by being 'examples of...', or 'contexts for...' or 'causes of...' or 'settings for...' and so on.
For example, Making use of the computers in the library:
- Services and courses offered by the library.
- ECDL
- Word processing
- Introduction to databases
- Library induction tutorial
- ECDL
- Specific websites and internet based services.
- Genealogy research.
- Family history centre
- Census website
- Holiday research
- Expedia
- First Choice website
- Online shopping
- Genealogy research.
- Other services and resources used (non ICT)
- Community leaflets
- Magazines
- Book
And for What kind of computer training have you received?:
- College course
- Computer programming
- Word processing
- School
- Introduction to computers
- Self taught
- Library courses
- Online course
- ECDL
- Online course
- No training
Summary of coding:
- Coding involves categorising and indexing sections or chunks of your data,
- Codes can come from theory and explanations 'outside the data' and/or 'emerge from the data',
- Data formats that can be coded ranges from transcribed text to video,
- Coding often starts by being descriptive but needs to becomes analytical,
- Any new codes created should be applied to the whole data set (previously coded units of data),
- Memos should be used to record your thoughts and ideas about your codes during the process,