Qualitative Coding for UK Dissertations: From Transcript to Themes
How to code interviews systematically - and how to write up your analysis so examiners trust your findings.
Qualitative coding is where most UK qualitative dissertations live or die. Done well, your themes feel inevitable; done badly, they feel imposed.
Process
Open coding (first pass, line-by-line, descriptive labels), axial coding (group related codes into categories), and selective coding (identify overarching themes that answer your research question). Braun & Clarke's six-phase model is the most widely accepted UK framework.
Make your coding visible
Include a coding tree or code map in your appendix. Quote participant data in your findings with anonymised IDs. Examiners look for traceability - they want to see how you got from raw data to claim.
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