Data Analysis

Given the nature of a qualitative type of research, the process of analysis after conducting
all the necessary data gathering procedures is essential in breaking down the big blocks of
information provided by each of the participants of the research into useful insights that becomes
easier to piece together, incorporate, and compare with the rest. If quantitative research have
numbers, qualitative research have, in turn, codes. Coding, as described by Charmaz (2006),
serves as a bridge between data collection and explaining the meaning of the data. It is an
interpretative activity designed by the researcher to capture the primary content or essence of the
data. According to Yi (2018), “coding the qualitative data makes the messy scripts quantifiable.”
It helps in establishing credibility with the results of the research because if done properly, the
researcher could declare “with confidence that the findings are in fact, representing the majority
of user feedback.” (Yi, 2018)

The encoding process done by the researchers involved a mix of In Vivo coding and
descriptive coding. Manning (2017) described In Vivo coding as a form of qualitative data analysis
that places emphasis on the actual spoken words of the participants. According to King (2008), it
is the practice of assigning a label to a section of data, such as an interview transcript, using a
word or short phrase taken from that section of the data. It has been noted by Manning (2017) for
its ability “to help offer a sense of nuanced meaning that other forms of coding might not allow”
by understanding the actual words delivered by the participants. On the other hand, descriptive
coding, according to Patel (2014), is summarizing the primary topic of the excerpt into a basic
passage. Both methods were used so that the chance of errors are minimized and the reliability
and stability in mapping the data could be increased. In using both methods, the data analysis
process was able to tackle the perspective of the interviewee as well as the researchers. This
ensured that the momentum in the process of analysing data was maintained and assured that
there was an engagement between the researchers and the data.

After the coding process, the team then proceeded with the Thematic Analysis. This is
where certain patterns are examined in the data, where it will be emphasized, pinpointed and
recorded across the data sets within the codes. Braun and Clarke (2013) enumerated phases in
thematic analysis which includes: familiarisation with the data, coding, searching then reviewing
the chosen themes, defining and naming the themes, and lastly writing the final report. Thematic
analysis is a widely used method of analysis in qualitative research. It has been described as a
stepping stone to novice researchers on how to analyse in a step-by-step manner. (Braun and
Clarke, 2013) It allows data to be more flexible and through this flexibility, allows for rich, detailed
and complex description for the data.

References:

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2017, November 7). Thematic Analysis (J. Lani, Ed.). Retrieved April 21,
2019, from https://www.statisticssolutions.com/thematic-analysis/

Manning, J. (2018, July 3). In Vivo Coding. Retrieved April 21, 2019, from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320928370_In_Vivo_Coding

Patel, S. (2014, September 18). A Guide to Coding Qualitative Data. Retrieved April 21, 2019, from
http://salmapatel.co.uk/academia/coding-qualitative-research/

Theron, P.M., 2015, ‘Coding and data analysis during qualitative empirical research in Practical
Theology’, In die Skriflig 49(3), Art. #1880, 9 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ids.v49i3.1880

Yi, E. (2014, July 14). Themes Don’t Just Emerge — Coding the Qualitative Data. Retrieved April 21,
2019, from https://medium.com/@projectux/themes-dont-just-emerge-coding-the-qualitative-data-
95aff874fdce