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Glesne, C. (2016) Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (5th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

**Thomas***

Coding in qualitative research is a non-numerical form of data analysis that involves the exploration of words in a text Glesne (2016).  There is another method based on numbers that are primarily used in quantitative research but is sometimes used in combination with qualitative methods (OLeary, 2005).  Coding in qualitative research focused on identify patterns that present in a text, something she described as thematic analysis.  OLeary (2005) describes coding in qualitative research as a process of reading, note-taking, organizing, and seeking patterns.  This process is multi-level and examines words as language strategies with nonverbal cues.  

Data is separated into categories that the researcher designates, and then examine to understand the item better; these categories are typically based in a coalescing facet of the culture and revealing the fundamental intricacies within.  In some cases, thematic analysis is used to build a theory about a topic (Glesne, 2016).  

Coding is sometimes a line-by-line process (Glesne, 2016); this process was discussed at length in one of the presentations available in the course content (Peach, 2014), but primarily, a word processing program that uses macros is used to distributed data to code it.  Other methods include conversation analysis is used to examine how people communicate with each other (Glesne, 2016).  Conversation analysis is gleaned from everyday interactions, not from interviews, because of non-verbal cues, pauses, and word emphasis are all used to draw meaning inferred in conversation beyond the mere words (Glesne, 2016).  Similarly, the narrative analysis involves examining and assessing verbal utterances, often pre-recorded; not similarly, the terms are gathered during the interview process, typically via open-ended questions, but also from singular storytelling (Glesne, 2016).  Semiotics analyzes symbols and signs of understanding the roots of communication and attempts to glean underlying meaning in written or verbal communication (Glesne, 2016).

One of the challenges of qualitative coding data is that those new to research sometimes find it challenging to maintain consistency and abandon the effort too soon or are not consistent with the balance between the data and their ability to describe it accurately (OLeary, 2005).  Glesne (2016) discusses the challenge of how to be sure that the results are accurate and reliable.  Ideally, another perspective will be sought, but this transparency brings a risk to confidentiality, and the risk must be acknowledged.  The researcher should recognize the delimitations that their assessment has formed; their approach may influence the results when another method may have different effects.  The approach and coding terms result in limitations to the study that also must be acknowledged.  Peter (3:16, ESV) addresses interpreting research while acknowledging limitations:

As he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

References

Glesne, C. (2016). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (5th ed.). Chapter 1 Meeting Qualitative Inquiry.  New York, NY: Pearson. ISBN 

OLeary, Z. (2005). Researching real-world problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 9781412901956.

Peach, H. (2014, June 14). Coding Text Using Microsoft Word. Retrieved February 18, 2020, from YouTube: