Comparison of Coding, Essay Example

Having reviewed the coding of my partner, there were differences noted in both structure and strategies. In terms of structure, the coding of my partner is linear. My partner read the text submitted by a responded, separated a text block that seemed relevant, and then coded it with a word or a few words that best described it. In my coding structure, I also read the respondents’ responses from top to bottom. However, upon considering the significance of a block of text, copied and pasted it under its coded heading with a tag (I1 for the first respondent, I2 for the second, and I3 for the third). This way, if I encounter another block of text with a similar relevance, I just copied and pasted it under the code I already made.

In terms of coding strategies, my partner’s strategy seems focused on summarizing blocks of text into appropriate code words. This is good since it makes coding convenient. However, I find this confusing because I cannot see the relevance of the codes to the research question. In my coding strategy, I use codes that are already related to the research question. This way, I believe I would have an easier time identifying relevant trends and themes.

The experience of hand coding was interesting. Prior to it, I did not know that a group of text can be analyzed in that fashion. Breaking down several groups of text into individual components with the purpose of finding interrelatedness among them was an exciting activity. However, I believe that I also realized why there should be more than 1 person conducting coding in a qualitative study to ensure the quality of the work. Codes need to be verified. That is, competent researchers should be able to draw out similar codes from text. Otherwise, the coding would have little practical significance.