Yes coding is the best way to go about it. But this requires a lot of time and effort. First step is that you read your interview data thoroughly. Create a list of statements from the all the responses and assign codes like 1, 2, 3 etc to each statement. Next step is you identify which statements are common and put them under the same heading that summarizes the commonality. This way you can organize your whole data into different master or sub headings. For example, If a statement with the code 3 was mentioned by 6 respondents then you give 50% score (6/12) to that particular statement/code. In this way you can quantify all the responses and draw accurate and meaningful insights.

Regarding the number of respondents in qualitative research, there is really no maximum or minimum criteria. The only thing important is that your participants should have enough knowledge in the area you intend to investigate in order to gain deeper understanding.

You have to code first. Once you are finished with the coding, you should see strong repetitive words, phrases. These will become your themes which will answer your research questions while addressing your problem and purpose statements. Please see my information page.

Dear Fahreen,

thank you a lot for you thorough answer. I will follow your instructions. Your advice helps a lot...

Maria

Dear Laverne,

I apprecciate your help. I was looking at your information page and I found plenty inspirations... Thank you a lot...

Maria

Probably the most widely used approach is Thematic Analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006), which has over 45,000 citations. I think its popularity is because the method they describe is relatively explicit and easy to follow.

Dear David,

thank you very much for your reply. I did not consider the Thematic Analysis... I will try to learn the method and apply in my research.

Maria

Here is a second article by Braun & Clarke that I think has useful examples.

Line-by-line memoing, coding, and theming. Take your transcripts, one at a time, and read line-by-line. In the margin, memo what the line (sentence) is telling you. Those memos become your codes. Create a code book, in which you note what each code is and what it means. As you read other transcripts, use the code book to apply codes as you encounter similar concepts. You will begin seeing themes emerge from the codes. These themes will point you to the next question, and eventually, the answer to your question.

Dear Lynn, thank you for your detailed step-by-step description. I find it very useful. Thank you.

Maria

Maria Strenacikova you are most welcome dear. Goodluck with the research! :)

I disagree with Farheen Mansur. It is appropriate to quantify the findings from a qualitative study. Number is not of interest when you use a qualitative method. If something is revealed through the reading and coding of your data, it is not of interest how many of your twelve respondents who said the same thing.

You might consider qualitative content analysis if you don't find thematic analysis a good choice.

Krippendorff is a very common reference for this:

Krippendorff, K. Content analysis: an introduction to its methodology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2004.

Dear Åsa Rejnö,

thank you a lot for your acvice... I will chceck the link.

Maria

Use Nvivo Software. It has lots of options to analyse and summarize the Qualitative Studies.

The guidance/strategies as per the following publications may further help:

• Bachiochi, P. D. and Weiner, S. P. (2004) Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis, in Rogelberg, S.G. (ed.) Handbook of Research Methods in Industrial and Organizatinal Psychology. Oxford, UK: Backwell Publishing Ltd, pp. 161- 183.
• Bailey, J. (2008) First steps in qualitative data analysis: transcribing, Family practice, 25, 2, pp. 127-131.
• Bazeley, P. (2009) Analysing Qualitative Data: More Than ‘Identifying Themes’, The Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research, 2, 2, pp. 6-22.
• Liamputtong, P. (2009) Qualitative data analysis: conceptual and practical considerations, Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 20, 2, pp. 133-139.
• MacQueen, K. M. and Milstein, B. (1999) A systems approach to qualitative data management and analysis, Field Methods, 11, 1, pp. 27-39.
• Maxwell, J. A. and Miller, B. A. (2008) Categorizing and Connecting Strategies in Qualitative Data Analysis, in Hesse-Biber, S.N. and Leavy, P. (eds.) Handbook of Emergent Methods. New York: The Guilford Press, pp. 461-476.
• McLellan, E., MacQueen, K. M. and Neidig, J. L. (2003) Beyond the qualitative interview: Data preparation and transcription, Field methods, 15, 1, pp. 63-84.
• Miles, M. B. and Huberman, A. M. (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. 2nd edn. CA: Sage: Thousand Oaks.
• Ryan, G. W. and Bernard, H. R. (2003) Techniques to Identify Themes, Field Methods, 15, 1, pp. 85-109.

I would also recommend to consider qualitative content analysis. In addition to Krippendorf, you might also want to consider Mayring who describes a very systematic approach: https://psychopen.eu/books/qualitative-content-analysis/

or http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1089/2385

good luck with your work!

In addition, consider especially for the strategy of the coding process the approach of the grounded theory (Glaser & Srauss), a stepwise approach. For further analysis applying all kinds of matrices consider the book (also on internet) of Miles, M.B. & Huberman, A.M.: Qualitative data analysis.

A lot of success!

Dear Kenneth, Sonja and Cees,

Thank you very much for your helpful answers. I appreciate the recommendation to the literature. I wish you good luck with your researches and of course Happy holidays.

Maria

In agreement with above suggestions- thematic analysis (and the use of n-Vivo to support and illustrate) is an appropriate and well cited approach for the analysis of qualitative data. Worth considering also is the 'constant comparative method' of data analysis. This method draws from Glaser and Strauss (1967) and Lincoln and Guba (1985) grounded theory approach. One the primary citations for the constant comparative method of analysis is Maykut and Morehouse (1994). Their paper sets out the key stages and steps in the process of analysis. The emphasis with this data analysis approach is upon allowing the data, and specifically the words of the participants, guide the findings. Best wishes with your work.

To do that is a demanding task but not as hard as thought at first place. When the writing starts then the flow comes around. See this as reference and it may help you: Chapter Waqf Development in Light of Islamic Economics in the Muslim...

(Interview procedure steps - analysis)

Interesting

Dear Corina, Ajit, Fateh and Jasmin,

thank you very much for your valuable advice. It is interesting to read all the links and compare... It is much easier to move on, when I read the articles you suggested.

Thank you again and I wish you all a lot of inspiration

Maria