Lorna de Witt, RN, PhD
Faculty of Nursing, University of Windsor
Windsor, ON
Jenny Ploeg, RN, PhD
School of Nursing, McMaster University
Hamilton, ON
Linda Patrick, RN, PhD
Faculty of Nursing, University of Windsor
Windsor, ON
Coding is a critical and commonly used analytical technique in many qualitative research approaches. Coding entails a systematic process of labeling passages of interview transcript text at both initial analytical stages and increasing analytical levels of abstraction. The initial codes are particularly important because these labels provide the foundation for discovery of emergent relationships and patterns among the codes. Coding skill directly affects the credibility of the study findings. Consequently, researchers must be careful to assure that the assigned codes accurately describe and/or evoke the meaning expressed by the study participants. Qualitative researchers often work in teams when coding in order to: (a) reach consensus about coding, (b) explicate and/or minimize potential researcher bias, and (c) maximize openness to expressed ideas. While coding has been defined and generally described in the literature, little is written about the challenges involved in the team development of initial codes. This report describes the lessons learned while developing an initial coding template for a qualitative descriptive study (using conventional content analysis) of the experiences of health care providers when caring for older people with dementia who lived alone. These lessons are useful for both novice researchers and experienced researchers undertaking a new analytical approach.