Chapters 7,8 & 9 – Coding (Dedoose)

Chapter 7,8, 9  discuss coding, coded retrieval and coding schemes as key tools of qualitative analysis. We discuss the terminology and philosophies which underpin coding processes. Specific methodologies use particular routines when coding. More general thematic analyses or less code-based methods may use coding devices in ways which include data reduction strategies, indexing and marking data. The structures of coding schemes, alternate groupings and basic retrieval mechanisms are key to moving forward with analysis. See all coloured illustrations (from the book) of software tasks and functions, numbered in chapter order.  

Sections included in the chapters:

 
Inductive, deductive and abductive approaches

Theoretical coding

Grounded Theory

Visual data, coding directly or via a transcript

Retrieval

Filtering devices

Horizontal or Vertical cuts

Moving on

Quantitative overviews

Hierarchical and non-hierarchical coding schemes

How to escape the structures of your coding scheme

Sets and alternative grouping mechanisms

Basic Coded retrieval in Dedoose

While there are many ways to retrieve coded data in Dedoose, the most straightforward is via the code tree.  For excerpts coded with a particular code:

  1. Floating your cursor over the code of interest and Click the ‘excerpts’ icon that will appear Dedoose image
  2.  From the resulting list, you can open an excerpt for fuller viewing, code addition/removal, and adjustment of any code weighting/rating that may have been applied

Dedoose image

Further, from the excerpt list you can quickly export the excerpts to your local computer in Word or Excel format for use in manuscript and presentation preparation.

Second, it is important to be aware that all Dedoose data visualizations allow for direct access to the underlying excerpted and coded underlying qualitative data.  To pull up the excepted represented in a visual, clicking any aspect of a chart, table, or plot will result in a list of the associated excerpts and from there you can review or download.

Ex. Clicking the highlighted bar in the image below results in the list of underlying excerpts to be presented:

  1. Click bar Dedoose image
  2. Review Excerpts Dedoose image

 

 

The code tree is also a great way to export all excerpt organized by code.  To do so,

  1. Click the ‘Export’ icon in the code tree panel header Dedoose image
  2. Select ‘Word’ as the export format
  3. Assure the ‘include excepts’ check box is checked Dedoose image
  4. Submit and you’ll have a Word file with all project excerpts organized on a code by code basis.

The Excerpts Workspace is a solid alternative to the code tree or chart strategies for accessing excerpts.  You can make use of filtering to narrow the set of excerpts to those that meet particular criteria and then review or export the results.  For example, the following snapshot shows the results of the following actions within the Excerpts Workspace:

1. In the ‘Columns’ panel click ‘clear all’ to simply the data in view

  • A) Click ‘Document’ and ‘Codes Short’ to view just this information for each excerpt
  • B) Open the ‘Codes’ folder
  • C) Click codes ‘…’ and ‘….’ And you’ll see folders for each appear in the ‘Filtering’ panel

2. In the ‘Filtering’ panel

  • A) Open the folders for the codes selected
  • B) Click ‘True’ for each code and, since the code ‘…’ also shows code weights, click 3, 4, and 5.

These actions narrow the list of excerpt shown to only those for which code A and/or code B with weight 3, 4, or 5 was applied.  This subset can be explored or exported by selecting all and then clicking ‘export’ selected.