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Analyzing Interview Data: The Development and Evolution of a Coding System

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Abstract

This paper describes the process used by a research team to develop a coding system for analyzing data from interview transcripts and situates the process within approaches to qualitative analysis. Successive versions of the coding scheme illustrate its development over several years; the role of team members and verification in this evolution are discussed. Several lessons emerge from our experience: a) coding is not what happens before analysis, but constitutes an important part of the analysis; b) a team builds codes and coding builds a team through the creation of a shared understanding of the phenomenon; and c) collaborative qualitative research requires a kind of rigor that an independent researcher might not be aware of or need.

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Correspondence to Cynthia Weston.

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Weston, C., Gandell, T., Beauchamp, J. et al. Analyzing Interview Data: The Development and Evolution of a Coding System. Qualitative Sociology 24, 381–400 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010690908200

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