Order 1000984: Part 3: The Analysis and Interpretation of Qualitative Data

           

     

           

       

                               

                                                 

                             

                                                                     

                                                                                         

           

                                       

                                         

                                                       

                           

                                                                                             

                                       

                                         

                                               

                   

First Cycle Coding: Structural Coding

First Cycle  Coding: Structural Coding Program Transcript

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SUSAN MARCUS: Hi. This  is  Dr. Susan Marcus. And we're back  to start our  coding for   a qualitative data analysis.

We've got the questions  and the content into our  Excel spreadsheet. And we're going to begin with what's called first cycle coding. This  is  our  first approach to the data from  the perspective of looking for  units  of meaning that we can then take apart and then put back  together  for  the interpretation.

If this  were a real research project or  your  dissertation, also keep in mind your  primary   research questions, the theoretical approach that you might be using to examine the research questions, and the methodological approach or  design as  well. Here, we're just approaching this  from  a very  basic  qualitative data analysis  approach. So we'll keep it simple for  the purposes  of this  demonstration. Regardless, the first step before beginning data analysis  is, to use an expression, to wash your  brain, to let go of all preexisting ideas  and biases  you have about what you are looking for  and to approach the data with curiosity  and inquiry.

So we'll begin with the first cycle coding process  using descriptive codes. This is  a really   easy  way  to get into the data analysis  process  using single words  or  short descriptions   to identify  what's going on in the content of the interview. So for  example here, a description of what's happening here is  she's reporting on her  degree.

Here she's reporting on the year  of the degree. So here she's describing the type of work  that she did before she came to Walden. And here it's the same. And here, as  we read through the text, the simple description was  why  she went on to get her  degree.

So I would go through in this  first column making simple identifying remarks  describing each piece of content from  the responses. And when I get done with my  descriptive coding, the completed document looks  like this. So for  example, when she talks  about why  she came to Walden, short comment how she found Walden.

The other  thing you'll note here is  that I've started to put quick  memos, my  impressions   as  I'm beginning and doing this  coding process. So here's my comment here in my   descriptive code-­-­ "seeing a problem."  And my  thought as  I was  writing the code was   she seeing that there's a problem  now that will impact the future.

And here's my other  comment here based on what she said. My  impression of what she's describing sounds  dire. These are, again, little short notes  that I take that I can expand on later  on and use in the later  coding process.

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First Cycle Coding: Structural Coding

Next, we'll try  a more interpretive style of coding called concept coding, where we read each piece of text and see what kind of meaning or  concept or  idea comes  to mind. So let's look  at this  first bit of text here. As  you can see, I've highlighted this  piece of text in red because it's quite moving. "There are so many  kids  that have problems. I just wanted to be there to help them  because of the community  and because these children will be our  future."  

So several concepts  come to mind that I'd like to put in as  my text. She's seeing a problem. And she wants  to be part of the solution. She's seeing the future and also seeing possibility. So here, using a hard return, I've identified four  possible concepts   that come out of that one piece of text.

Here, this  is  where she was  talking about the type of work  that she was  doing before Walden. Just to give you one quick  little thing, "I retired from  the Army. Prior  to retiring, just the times  I would go to get my  kids' school and I would say, I am  never  going to work  in a school."  So the concept that comes  to mind is  that she is  not seeing herself as   a teacher  or  social change agent.

And this  is  the way  I would go through the text, reading each bit of text, observing what was  coming up as  I was  reading the text, and writing a short comment or  phrase that was  more evocative and interpretive so that when I finished my  concept coding, my  data sheet looks  something like this. Here are my  descriptions. Here are my  interpretive comments. And again, you can see as  I've made my  comments, I also note down what comes  to mind for  me.

So this  is  a really  great example of how to be reflexive while coding. You respond to the text. And then you can also make a note about yourself.

So I say  things, this  is  my internal conversation. "Never  say  never."  Sometimes  my comments  to myself are the same as  my comments  for  the concepts-­-­ "transformation."   I write down or  I note my  wonderings. I wonder  if this  is  true for  other  people. So this  is, hmm, maybe I should keep this  in mind when I'm looking at other  interviewee transcripts.

So that brings  us  to the end of our  first cycle coding. We've looked at descriptive coding, short descriptions, concept coding, more interpretive coding, writing memos, personal reflections, and then the last part of the process  before we move on to our  second cycle coding, is  to take a few moments  and create a brief summary  of your  impressions  of what you got from  her  interview. So here I write, "The participant describes  her   understanding of social change in terms  of experience in seeing how important it is  to get in there and make a change. There's urgency  in some of her  statements."  

And observe here, how as  I write, I also insert quotes. So that's how I connect my   interpretation with what the interviewee has  said. "And a clear  connection to how present action can change the future at the social level."  And again, I'm using quotes  to illustrate some of the comments and summative statements  that I've made.

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First Cycle Coding: Structural Coding

This  is  a very  basic  approach to qualitative data analysis. As  you look  through your   coding manual book  and read other  kinds  of qualitative research, you'll see that there are so many  different ways  to approach your  data. The important thing to recognize is   coding is  not just a one time pass  through of the data. You'll actually  go through the data several times  using different coding processes  in order  to look  at the data from   different points  of view.

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