What does "coding" refer to in qualitative analysis?

Coding in qualitative analysis is a crucial process where researchers categorize and interpret data to identify themes, patterns, or insights within the textual material they are studying. This involves assigning labels or codes to segments of the data, allowing the researcher to group similar ideas together, thus facilitating deeper analysis and understanding.

In qualitative research, where data is often rich and complex, coding helps to distill the essence of the material into manageable parts, making it easier to draw conclusions and develop theories based on the findings. This method allows for a systematic approach to analyzing narratives, interviews, and other forms of qualitative data, enabling researchers to uncover deeper meanings and implications of social phenomena.

Other choices focus on different aspects of research methods that are not relevant to qualitative coding. For instance, measuring statistical significance relates to quantitative analysis rather than qualitative interpretation. Evaluating the reliability of quantitative data concerns the validity of numerical data rather than the interpretative nature of qualitative insights. Summarizing findings from a literature review pertains to synthesizing previous research rather than analyzing data directly from qualitative sources.