| University Libraries
In qualitative research, coding is the process of extracting topical and thematic content from your qualitative data, usually passages of text. Conceptually, coding can be broken down into three parts (see: Andrasik, Frey, and Endeshaw, n.d.):
There are two primary approaches to qualitative coding: deductive coding and inductive coding.
In practice, deductive and inductive coding are commonly used together. It is usually beneficial to have a limited list of hypothesized codes drawn from theory or the literature, but then refining these codes–and discovering and creating new ones–through the data analysis process.
Analysing Qualitative Data by
This book tackles the challenges of how to make sense of qualitative data. It offers students and researchers a hands-on guide to the practicalities of coding, comparing data, and using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis. Lastly, Gibbs shows you how to bring it all together, so you can see the steps of qualitative analysis, understand the central place of coding, ensure analytic quality and write effectively to present your results.
See also Gibbs' Videos, especially 4 Stages of Qualitative Analysis & Thematic Coding. He also has many videos on Grounded Theory.
Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook by
Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña's Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook is the authoritative text for analyzing and displaying qualitative research data. The Fourth Edition maintains the analytic rigor of previous editions while showcasing a variety of new visual display models for qualitative inquiry. Graphics are added to the now-classic matrix and network illustrations of the original co-authors. Five chapters have been substantially revised, and the appendix's annotated bibliography includes new titles in research methods. Graduate students and established scholars from all disciplines will find this resource an innovative compendium of ideas for the representation and presentation of qualitative data. As the authors demonstrate, when researchers "think display," their analyses of social life capture the complex and vivid processes of the people and institutions studied.
See also lectures by Johnny Saldaña (YouTube Search), including An Introduction to Qualitative Coding and Data Analysis (MAXQDA) OR From Codes to Themes (UW).
Although the software-based blogs do cover topics of interest to those using it, they also discuss many methodological issues and software ideas that can be implemented in any full-featured software.
DDSS Handout: