Building a Coding Frame

Abstract

The longer and more intensively you work with your data, the more codes are likely to be generated and the more coding is carried out. This chapter deals with different types of category systems and different ways of arriving at a coding frame that is optimally suited for analysis. The two opposing poles of category formation are usually referred to as deductive and inductive category formation. In the former case, the categories are concept-based, i.e., defined before the actual analysis of the empirical data starts. In the second case, the categories are developed based on the empirical data. Inductive, data-based category building is very effectively supported in MAXQDA by the “Creative Coding” function. When working with categories, the code definitions play a very important role; they are used to record what a code means and when exactly it is assigned. Because categories play such a central role in many analysis methods, one should take sufficient time over the construction of the category system.