Understand
Qualitative Coding
Tagging research notes and quotes with themes, so patterns can be found and checked.
What is Qualitative Coding?
Tagging research notes and quotes with themes, so patterns can be found and checked.
What you learn
Every theme should trace back to what people actually said.
When it helps
research material is too scattered to compare, or themes can’t be traced to evidence.
Use it at work
- Read the material and tag passages with short codes.
- Group the codes into themes.
- Link each theme to its quotes and the people who said them.
- Keep and report the quotes that disagree.
Your output
For each theme in your next report, link the quotes behind it and note any that disagree.
Watch for
Writing themes from memory or overall impressions.
Related practices
Sources
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