Qualitative Research: Coding Data 2
Abstract
The process of assessing and classifying data and information that is obtained during a
qualitative research study is known as qualitative coding. When researchers assess and clarify
their research, they can develop more in-depth insights and viewpoints pertaining to the topic of
their research. Qualitative coding enables researchers to identify various patterns, themes, and
concepts that will arise from their data and even arise during the gathering of their data. The
purpose of this research paper, the author of this paper conducted multiple interviews with police
officers and police supervisors across multiple police departments, to help gain insights and
viewpoints associated with her research questions. The aim of this paper is to examine the
responses from these interviews and develop a coding system that will allow the author to
continue gaining further insight into the identified patterns, trends, and concepts.
Keywords: Qualitative Research, Coding, Interview, Open-Ended Questions, Police,
Police Leadership
Qualitative Research: Coding Data 3
Coding Qualitative Research
The process of assessing and clarifying data and information gained through a qualitative
study, whether it be information from interviews, surveys, or field observation, is referred to as
qualitative coding. Qualitative coding enables researchers and doctoral students to gain more in-
depth insights and viewpoints on the topic that they are researching. As researcher and doctoral
students conduct the various methodologies they utilize throughout their study, they will identify
and develop various patterns, themes, and concepts, just as they will develop patterns, themes,
and concepts after all data and information has been obtained. For this research paper, the author
of this paper conducted an open-ended question interview with multiple police officers and
police supervisors, in the effort to answer the following research questions:
Research Question #1: How does the present organizational culture and present
leadership affect an officers’ ethical decision-making process?
Research Question #2: What are the current attitudes and perceptions of police officers
and supervisors regarding both ethical leadership and corruption within their department?
Research Question #3: How do external factors (I.e. community expectations and
political influences), impact the ability of police leaders to promote ethical behavior and combat
corruption?
Research Question #4: What are the perceived barriers in implementing ethical leadership
practices within police departments, particularly when it comes to combating local corruption?
According to Glesne (2016), the process of a theme-organizing framework involves
compiling all the data clumps that have been identified, creating a code, and then grouping these
pieces of information together to help illustrate either a theoretical or even descriptive idea.
Researchers should aim to complete a code framework prior to conducting interviews, as this can
Qualitative Research: Coding Data 4
aide the researchers in having their research being open to peer review. Further, whether it be a
code book or a coding framework, researchers should strive to have their unique coding system
built off of the actual data and information obtained throughout their study, but also have it built
off their identified research questions and/or objectives. Linneberg & Korsgaard (2019) discuss
that when coding elements from data and/or information, that researchers should use these codes
to help provide a coherent and convincing story, a story that will help answer research questions
and provide insights that are loyal to the data itself.
Qualitative research studies can result in multiple themes being identified for each
research question that is presented within a study. Regarding research question #1, the potential
data clump can be categorized as Organizational Cultural Climate. For this theme, the
researcher will need to identify the cultural climate of the department(s) they are researching, as
well as identify the ethical behavior that is exhibited by supervisors within those same
department(s). Once the theme has been identified, the researcher can further break down this
theme into codes, by coding for these specific ethical behaviors that are exhibited by the
supervisors. Further, the researcher could break this theme down into multiple codes specifically
relating to the organizational ethical climate, as this can often affect the ethical behavior
exhibited by police supervisors.
For research question #2, this data clump could be identified as Attitudes of Officers, as
this would assist with help identify the attitudes that officers and supervisors possess regarding
the ethical climate of their department, as well as the ethics in-house pertaining to combating
corruption. The interview questions asked by the author of this paper were designed to help
identify perspectives and experiences of both the officers and supervisors, as these experiences
and perspectives will influence how they view, react to, as well as influence what type of
Qualitative Research: Coding Data 5
behavior they exhibit, whether it be ethical or unethical behavior. For research question #3, the
data clump can be identified as Leadership Challenges. Further, the author of this paper asked
questions during the interview that were designed to identify the barriers that cause challenges
for police leadership, specifically the challenges of community and political influence, as these
two factors can make both implementing and modeling ethical behavior challenge within a
department.
Lastly, for research question #4, the data clump can be labeled as Accountability
Mechanisms, as the author of this paper asked questions during the interview that helped
identify barriers that prevent and/or make it very difficult for a police department and its
leadership to implement ethical leadership and ethical behaviors. Specifically, these barriers
were identified as relating to political influence, community influence, as well as lack of
accountability of police supervisors from a supervisor above them. Further, it is possible the data
clumps and codes that could result from this open-ended interview could aid researchers with
axial coding, which is a process where codes are related to each other. Furthermore, axial coding
could also assist a researcher with identifying connections between patterns that arise from their
data and information, and the connection of these patterns can be intertwined with other types of
coding or analysis processes (Locke, Feldman, & Golden-Biddle, 2020).
Coding Interview Questions
The open-ended question interview was conducted with multiple police supervisors and
multiple police officers across different police departments, and anonymity was guaranteed.
While conducting these open-ended question interviews, the author of this paper saw multiple
patterns and themes being presented from the information gathered.
Major and Minor Codes
Qualitative Research: Coding Data 6
1. What improvements and/or changes would you like to see be made that will help
strengthen ethical leadership within your department?
This question provided a significant amount of data that was consist across both police
officers and police supervisors. The information obtained from this question could be
applied to the data clump and codes under Leadership Challenges. This question
alongside the other questions asked throughout the interview, helped the author of this
paper identify and address gaps, gain further information, and even identify topics for
future research opportunities (Ravindran, 2019). One specific code that could be applied
is Modeling, as both officers and supervisors discussed how when leadership model
ethical behaviors and the officers below them see this, then their teams will begin to
model ethical behavior as well.
2. How do these challenges affect the effectiveness of ethical leadership initiatives
within police departments?
Throughout the interview with multiple officers and supervisors, the answers that were
consist of and shared among them, would fall under the data clump and codes related to
Organizational Cultural Climate. Specifically, the answers to this question shared
similarities in discussion about old school vs. new school mentalities in officers and
leadership; how political influence affects policy, which in turn affects cultural climate;
and how corruption itself flows from the top down. Nonetheless, the answers shared the
common discussion how both ethical and unethical behaviors flow from the top down.
3. Can you provide examples of strategies that are effective in combating and
reducing local corruption?
Qualitative Research: Coding Data 7
This is one of the few questions throughout the interview, where the information
gathered will fall under the data clump and codes for Accountability Mechanisms.
What was consistent across the answers given is that there needs to be accountability
of each police leader from a leader above them. Additionally, another commonality
amongst the answers was to have supervisors going into the field to help their teams
out, and when doing so, their leader’s ethical behavior is seen, and thus the teams
reflect that ethical behavior. Further, another commonality amongst the answers was
to address corruption and complaints when received, and to keep those appraised of
updates, to demonstrate that complaints and corruption are dealt with swiftly and
appropriately.
Analysis
Throughout these interviews it became apparent that experiences and perspectives became
important factors alongside policy and training. Each of the officers and supervisors felt that it
was important for police leadership to model ethical behavior, and to also address and deal with
corruption and/or complaints as soon as they are made aware of these situations. Further, it was
also evident across the officers and supervisors that both agreed that little acts of unethical
behavior, and/or little acts of corruption, quickly lead towards larger acts of unethical and/or acts
of corruption. Furthermore, across all the answers, both officers and supervisors agreed that
corruption starts from the top down and given that corruption networks are made of multiple
parts that collaborate together, they all asked the same question, “how do you dismantle this type
of corruption network”; and they answer they gave, “it is not easy” (Anonymous, 2024).
Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (New
International Version, 1973/2011, Matthew 5:9).
Qualitative Research: Coding Data 9
References
Glesne, C. (2016). Becoming Qualitative Researchers: An Introduction, 5th Edition. Pearson.
ISBN-13: 978-013-3859-393.
Linneberg, M.S. and Korsgaard, S. (2019). Coding Qualitative Data: A Synthesis Guiding the
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10.1108/QRJ-
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Locke, K., Feldman, M., and Golden-Biddle, K. (2020). Coding Practices and Iterativity: Beyond
Templates for Analyzing Qualitative Data, Vol. 25, No. 2: 262-284. Organizational
Research Methods. DOI: 10.1177/.
Ravindran, V. (2019). Data Analysis in Qualitative Research, Vol. 20, Series 19: 40-45. Indian
Journal of Continuing Nursing Education. DOI: 10.4103.IJCN.IJCN_1_19.
Zondervan. (2011). New International Version: Large Print Edition. Originally published in
1973.
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