Qualitative content analysis summarized in 5 minutes

Here you will get a quick and simplified overview of the qualitative content analysis that you can carry out with f4analyse, starting with a clear research question.

 

Step 1: Text work

First of all, you should read all the interview material to gain a comprehensive impression. Kuckartz calls this process “text work”, while Mayring describes it as “embedding the material in the communication context”. Summarize important information about the interviewee, note any special features and conspicuous points and record these in the yellow note field for later case summaries. Mark important passages in the text and write down short comments. Repeat this process for several interviews to develop an initial understanding of the content.

Step 2: Categorization

In this step, you develop main categories from your research question, which can include both deductive (a priori) and inductive (categories formed from the material) categories. Define each category with a name and supplement it with definitions and examples.

Assignment of text passages

Using prepared categories, go through the material and assign relevant text passages to these categories. This will help you find answers to your research questions.

Differentiation of subcodes

Now take the main codes and analyze what you have found on these topics. Begin to work out the different facets of the topics by creating sub-codes and assigning text passages to these new topics.

Step 3: Analysis and comparison

Once the material has been assigned to the various codes, you can now take a closer look at it and analyze it. Compare statements from different groups on certain topics, look at overlaps and summarize the results at the level of the main codes. You can also use the option of viewing the material in a number matrix to recognize patterns and structures.

Step 4: Export and results report

Prepare the material for the results report. Export your comments and assigned text passages as evidence. Also export case descriptions and memos about the interviews. These prepared documents can then be further processed in a word processing program and used to write the final results report.

 

 

You can find more detailed information in our practical example

 

You can find further citable assistance in our free practical book(PDF download)