Coding

1.   Source Phenomena

assembled recorded clusterings of words/symbols resulting from engagement with others:

interviews, participant observations, archival materials, language studies, oral narratives

2. Open First-Tier Coding

first-tier naming/labeling - coding - of phenomena, without overt restriction or agenda on your part, almost randomly

requires openness on your part to listen and be attentive to the voices of those embedded in the source phenomena

naming of the codes, can be derived from language terms used by interviewees (preferred) or derived from own inclinations

continue until "theoretical saturation" - no new further codes suggested

all coding is at this stage is tentative, not final, open to revisions, further editing or even deletion

3. Memoing

attaching notes to those codes that you think might see linkage or need for further exploration

maybe vague, half-formed ideas or concepts

4. Sorting Categories

with the first-tier codes, in conjunction with the memos, look for relationships between, linkages, patterns, resulting in first-tier categories

continuing to listen deeply, this stage requires constant comparative method, cross-triangulation with all codes, using all source phenomena

may result in categories with multi-layered subcategories, as if the trunk of a tree, focusing on its many branches, dividing into smaller branches, and so on

naming of the categories might be derived from code names or newly derived terminology

5. Core Categories

based upon the first-tier categories, identify the central, mega-categories, the trunks of the tree

continue the deep listening, and the cross-triangulation of the codes and categores

should be central in relationship to other categories, inclusive of them

maybe causal of conditions or consequential of actions/interactions

this has brought you to the first stages of the process of interpretation