Once your transcripts are ready, the real analysis begins. You read through the text and label important passages with short names called codes. In the end you can see what several participants said about the same topic, and you have the right quotes ready for your thesis. This guide walks you through a simple process.
Note: The right method of analysis depends on your research question and your field. Agree on your approach with your advisor.
Before you start: choose a method
Thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke is widely used, and so are qualitative content analysis and grounded theory. One way these methods differ is when your codes are created:
- Deductive. You derive the codes from your theory or interview guide and assign passages to them.
- Inductive. You read the interviews and develop the codes as you go.
- Mixed. You start with a few broad topics from your interview guide and add new codes while reading.
Read about your method in the original literature and follow its steps. This guide does not replace that.
Step by step
- Check and de-identify your transcripts. Only analyze text you have checked against the recording. See our guide on anonymizing transcripts.
- Read one full interview. Read it once without marking anything, so you get a feel for the conversation.
- Select passages and name them. Select a passage that matters for your research question and give it a short code, such as "time pressure".
- Keep a codebook. Write one sentence for each code that says what it means and when you use it. This keeps your work consistent.
- Work through the other interviews. Reuse existing codes and add new ones when nothing fits.
- Group your codes. Merge similar codes and sort them into broader themes.
- Compare. Read all passages for one code in a row. Where do participants agree, and where do they disagree?
Common pitfalls
- Too many codes. If almost every passage has its own code, you will not see patterns. Merge codes early.
- Too little text. Select enough that the passage still makes sense without the rest of the conversation.
- Ignoring contrary views. Look for statements that do not fit your impression and include them in your analysis.
- No record of your process. Describe what you did in your methods section. Our guide on describing transcription in your methods section explains how.
How Stillscript can help
In Stillscript you select a passage in a transcript and add a code. You can then see all quotes for a code from all your interviews, each with its source. You can rename codes, which also lets you merge them. Pro exports all quotes as a Word file. Your recordings and transcripts stay on your device.
This is often enough for a simple analysis. Stillscript is not a full analysis program, though. If you need themes, memos or comparisons between groups, export your transcripts to NVivo or MAXQDA.