RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.9 DATA ANALYSIS
3.9.1. Open Coding
Open coding is the initial step of the analysis process, wherein the data is fractured, named and labeled, the concepts are further examined for its properties and dimensions and in this way codes are generated and categorized (Strauss and Corbin, 1990). Discussed by Strauss and Corbin (1990), the process of categorizing is at a more abstract level than the concepts that are grouped under it. Moreover, McCann and Clarke (2003a), state that a category is like a conceptual label, which describes the text which is being labeled. Babbie and Mouton (2004) summarize the process of open coding as examining the data and ascribing labels to concepts as they present themselves in the data. The two analytic procedures of open coding, as prescribed
79 by Strauss and Corbin (1990), were employed in this study. The first analytic procedure involved making comparisons of concepts by looking at the data sentence to sentence, which occurred during the beginning of the study and allowed for the initial categories to be generated.
Thereafter, larger sections of the data was compared with each other, namely, incident to incident and then transcript to transcript was compared between the two research settings to compare and establish saturation of the emergent categories. The second analytic procedure which is referred to as neutral coding dealt with labeling the categories. To assist in this task, the researcher asked questions such as “what is this data or concept referring to?” and “what does this category represent?” By unpacking and labeling the categories in this manner, properties of the categories were established. The labels that were generated came from in vivo codes of the participants’ words or statements, or from literature derived concepts of the researcher’s knowledge of discipline specific information Table 1; represents an example of the coding process of categorization and labeling within open coding. The researcher also used various coloured pens to assist in demonstrating the various categories during the process of open coding. This assisted in especially showing sentence-by- sentence coding and categorization.
Figure 2 illustrates a snap short of this coding process.
Table 1: Open coding process of sentence by sentence coding Transcript
Sentence by Sentence Coding and
Group Member 4: So this group helped me to see that is very important that while the patient is with me that I should be giving her health education about ARVs and not just palpating and sending her.
comes together and shares…that is helpful for me, because I am learning.
Member 2: Ja’…I too can say it has been helpful to be part of this group…err’ if I can share a example…after we had the information where we looked at what was in the PMTCT policy and about the ARVs…I now made a change in my nursing…err’.. I now check with the mothers with their ARVs in the postnatal ward…I make sure I teach them well about the NVP syrup for the baby.
Figure 2: Sentence-by- sentence open coding
: Open coding process of sentence by sentence coding
Categorization Sentence by Sentence Coding and Categorization
: So this group helped me to see that is very important that while the patient is with me that I should be giving her health education about ARVs and not just palpating and sending her. Group Member 9: In his group everybody mes together and shares…that is helpful for me, because I am learning. Group : Ja’…I too can say it has been helpful to be part of this group…err’ if I can share a example…after we had the information where we looked at what was and about the ARVs…I now made a change in my nursing…err’.. I now check with the mothers with their ARVs in the postnatal ward…I make sure I teach them well about the NVP syrup for the baby.
Consciousness raising about practice
Benefit of shared learni
Benefit
learning in group
Application of learnt knowledge
Changed nursing practice
sentence open coding
80 Categorization
Consciousness raising about practice
Benefit of shared learning in group
Benefit of shared learning in group
Application of learnt knowledge
Changed nursing practice
81 3.9.2 Axial Coding
This second step in the data analysis process described by Strauss and Corbin (1990) refers to the process of the researcher putting the data back together in a new innovative way. Thus, the task of axial coding is to create relationships among the identified categories from open coding and to unpack the various concepts that made up each category in terms of their properties and dimensions (McCann and Clarke, 2003a; Strauss and Corbin, 1990). Moreover, axial coding allows the data to be put back together with greater density and meaning, wherein connections and relationships between the categories and subcategories are established (McCann and Clarke, 2003a; Strauss and Corbin, 1990). Following the aim of axial coding in terms of not only assessing the nature of the categories in terms of the concepts that aggregate under it, but also assessing similar categories for links and relationships, the researcher compiled a list of the categories that emerged from open coding. Nvivo version 8.0 was used as a data management system and to generate the list of categories through the process of line-line and sentence by sentence coding (Appendix 5, shows an example of the Nvivo output from initial coding) Similar labeled categories were grouped together. Following this exercise, the sub-lists of similarly grouped categories were teased out to assess the dimensions and properties of each category.
This process allowed subcategories to emerge, since each category was examined in terms of how they relate to one another (Strauss and Corbin, 1990). Through this iterative process, all the data concepts within each category were assessed to ensure they fitted in terms of the emerging theoretical framework. This process, referred to as category reduction by Strauss and Corbin (1990), allowed for similar conceptual meaning to be aggregated. Table 2 illustrates an example of a category in relation to subcategories and dimensions.
82 Table 2: Category in relation to subcategories and dimensions
CATEGORY SUB CATEGORIES DIMENSIONS
Formation Phase of CoP (coalescing,
learning and
developing)
Learning to Reflect Concept clarification
Application of the concept critical reflection to practice
Hesitation and resistance
Transitioning and familiarity with reflection
Learning how to reflect deeply Group Formation through
norming and storming
Reservations and dependence
Establishing middle ground