preview

Coding Using NVivo Is Useful to Researchers Essay

Decent Essays

Coding Using NVivo Coding is an important step in qualitative research. One could describe it as the preparation of research data for analysis. Similarly, it could be thought of as the categorizing of data, the providing of structure and organization so that the researcher is able to make sense of the information. In other words, coding is the systematic process of “condensing extensive data sets into smaller analyzable units through the creation of categories and concepts derived from the data” (Lockyer, 2004). In addition, coding assists researchers in “getting a sense of the data; checking out the quality of the information…collected; [and] getting a sense of the whole” (Patton, 2002, p. 440). According to Creswell (2013), it is also …show more content…

However, I had lost all data (apparently it was corrupted in the process) I had been working with and practicing on. When it was operating, the program was rather helpful. I was able to import and code the data easily as well as edit, delete, recode, reclassify, etc. Compared to coding by hand, the coding process was less cumbersome as it eliminated a lot of scrolling up and down to add, list, or view labels/categories. While I decided to code my data manually, mirroring the coding I had done during the hand-coding assignment, I experimented with the auto coding features. The outcomes were different from what I expected, but simultaneously illuminating by providing me with a different view of the data collected. In addition, I really appreciated the coding stripes when viewing the coded document as it provided a visual indicator of what codes had been used where. Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages of using software to code data include data collection and storage, as the software permits a variety of information, data, and content types to be collected and stored together. It also allows the researcher to link information, nodes, or documents with one another for a more holistic analysis. Compared to coding by hand, software often provides a researcher with additional tools for coding and analysis (i.e. auto coding) that s/he would not otherwise have. It also permits the

Get Access