Data Analysis - Qualitative

DATA ANALYSIS –
QUALITATIVE

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Introducing and presenting the coding technique used in the present study to analyze data in a
qualitative manner.......................................................................................................................3
Marking up of data set through open coding technique..............................................................5
Identification of categories and sub categories in the second stage known as “Axial coding”...6
Explanatory account of the relationships between the axial codes and core concepts to
determine the pattern in the collected data in order to address research aim (Selective coding) 8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................12
Code book..................................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Data analysis is defined as a process of cleaning, transforming and modeling data that is
used to discover the useful information regarding decision-making. The present study also helps
to generate in-depth learning regarding the data analysis. The study is based upon a case study of
Kingston Department Store (KDS) which is a well-established department store who has a long
term plan whose aim is to maintain the customer base. For that, interview has been conducted
from the females who frequently visit the store in order to determine their views regarding the
store. Therefore, through the transcript, the study also uses different coding techniques that help
to determine the how the firm can be encouraged to increase their use of store. Coding can be
described as a process of integrating the data for themes, categories, ideas and then the text
passages related to the data are marked with the code to retrieve it at a further stage for the
purpose of comparison and analysis (Elliott, 2018). A code is in fact a label representing the
main topic of a set of data, where an outlining phrase for a particular piece of text provides the
meaning of that data set. It can be both a single word and a string of words which can be based
on ideas or concepts. The present report will provide useful insight on such techniques used in
analyzing qualitative or non –numeric data where there are huge text present pertaining to the
research conducted. Like here the interview has been conducted by KDS on its female customer
segment on a random basis and with regards to this there will be various coding techniques
applied to analyze their response to the questions asked during the interview.
Introducing and presenting the coding technique used in the present study to analyze data in a
qualitative manner
Coding technique is the process of transforming information from one representation to
another in order to understand the key terms through codes. KDS is the departmental store who
aims to investigate their existing customer’s habits of carrying out shopping at the store along
with the motivation and reasons for which they are visiting the store (Linneberg and Korsgaard,
2019). There has been an exploratory research conducted to achieve the aim and objectives of the
research by framing an interview and on the basis of eight questions asked during the interview
conducted on nine female customers of the departmental store, there are varieties of coding used
and developed in the present study which are as mentioned below:

Open coding: It is basically the first step with regards to analyzing data pertaining to the
qualitative research and generally utilized as an initial coding pass in a grounded theory. The
point is that where there is a beginning of the collection of the qualitative data likewise the
transcriptions from the interviews conducted. With the help of open coding technique, the data
are then broken down into discrete parts and accordingly codes are created to label them. As the
name suggests, it is meant for opening the researcher to the new theoretical possibilities when he
or she confronts with the qualitative data at the most initial stage (Adu, 2019). The reason behind
such a breaking down of data and labeling them accordingly is to enable researcher in constantly
contrasting and comparing events in the data that are similar in nature. It can be done by the
researcher by collecting all those data pieces like quotes that has been labeled with a specific
code. In this way, researcher are forced to avoid preconceived biases and notions associated with
the research. This coding technique is just a pass of coding in a qualitative research and are
always followed with or by one or more other techniques of coding like the one which is
commonly used in combination with open coding is axial coding. This technique has been
discussed in detail in the following paragraph.
Axial Coding: In a grounded theory, axial coding comes at the second stage followed by open
coding where the data has been broken down into discrete parts, the researcher while carrying
out axial coding begins to create and draw connectivity among different codes. In other words,
axial coding is helpful to the researcher in organizing the codes that has been developed during
open coding. In a qualitative research, researcher can read along the codes and related or
underlying data to identify how codes could be grouped into different categories (Belotto, 2018).
The existing codes can be used to create a category and also a new abstract category could be
developed which encompasses numerous different codes. Subsequently, axial coding allows for
having numerous categories that are duly supported by a set of supporting codes that are cleaned
up. The categories acts as an axes around which codes supporting it revolves.
Selective coding: In a grounded theory, the last step is of selective coding where all the
categories already been created has been connected with the one core category. This helps