# Coding notes

## Code
A code in qualitative inquiry is most often a word or short phrase that symbolically assigns a summative, salient, essence-capturing, and/or evocative attribute for a portion of language-based or visual data’ (Saldaña, 2013)

## Category
(Q)ualitative codes are essence-capturing and essential elements of the research story, that, when clustered together according to similarity and regularity (a pattern), they actively facilitate the development of categories and thus analysis of their connections.’ (Saldaña, 2013)

### (subcodes) -> codes -> (subcategories) -> categories -> (themes) -> theory

*(Saldaña 2015, 13)*

## Deductive coding
Deductive coding is the coding method wherein you have developed a codebook as a reference to guide you through the coding process. The codebook will be usually developed before your data collection starts, in the research design process or during initial observations. Usually, if you have a general direction in mind, you will be able to develop a rough codebook. Of course, the codebook changes as you code on, new codes will be added and categories re-organized. In the end, your codebook should reflect the structure of your data.

## Inductive coding
Inductive coding method is used when you know little about the research subject and conducting heuristic or exploratory research. In this case, you don’t have a codebook, you’re building on from scratch based on your data.

1. Initial coding: read an familiarize with your data. Try to code sections with a broad code name, and write notes as you read
2. Line-by-line coding: read with a closer eye. Your codes should be more detailed at this stage.
3. Categorize: aggregate similar codes in the same categories (see [jellybeans video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxIErzX3aQQ) for visual and delicious input). This will help you to identify main themes for your data

**Try to avoid preconceptions**:
* Think like an alien without any idea of what is happening
* Try to avoid making sense of “the whole” or generalizing

**Let the data “speak”**
* Stick to what the participant (text/image) says or does, not what you think
* Let themes emerge from your immersion and close analysis of data

**Maintain a chain of evidence**
* Document each layer of analysis
* Keep solid records of how analysis changed (or didn’t) over time

### What Data gets coded?
* **Verbal materials**
Transcripts from interviews or recorded observations, archives of interactions, contributions, productions, narrative accounts.
* **Descriptions**
based on observations and field encounters (may be within field notes or research journal)
* **Memories, insights**
from research journal, typically
* **Material or informational artifacts**
collected along the way
* **Visual materials**
Photographic materials, screenshots, concept maps, etc.
* **Numeric materials**
indicators of frequency, aggregated responses from surveys, etc.

### Small example

| Material | Example codes |
| -- | -- |
| "There’s just no place for illegal immigrants in this country. Round them up and send those criminals back to where they came from". | **Researcher 1**: IMMIGRATION ISSUE <br><br> **Researcher 2**: "round them up" (cattle?)<br>"send them back" (mail? unwanted package?)<br><br>**Researcher 3**:"no place"<br><br>**Researcher 4**:XENOPHOBIA |

### Recommended software (CAQDAS):
* [Nvivo](https://www.qsrinternational.com/nvivo-qualitative-data-analysis-software/home): propietary, highly progessional, paid. Text, video, and images format.
* [Taguette](https://app.taguette.org): free, open source, no email registration. Simple coding. Only text formats.

### More on (inductive) coding:
* Saldana, Johnny. The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. 3rd edition. Los Angeles ; London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2015. (**CHAPTER 1**)
* Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide through Qualitative Analysis (1st edition). SAGE Publications Ltd. (**CHAPTER 3**)
* Christians, C. G., & Carey, J. W. (1989). The logic and aims of qualitative research. Research methods in mass communication
* Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2018). The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. SAGE Publications, Inc.
* Glaser, Barney G., and Anselm L. Strauss. The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. 4. paperback printing. New Brunswick: Aldine, 2009.