What Is Open Coding?

Process

• Open coding is the first stage after data acquisition and involves describing the overall features of the phenomenon under study. Variable features or factors in the phenomenon are identified, labeled, categorized by their properties and dimensions, and related together in broad terms. The properties of each category are defined by placing the property in a continuous series, or continuum, of all possible values. Researchers constantly compare each piece of data with the codes already identified to determine its distinct characteristics on any relevant scale.

Level

• Open coding of a textual data source can be performed by analyzing the data line by line or even word by word. However, depending on the nature of the data, it may be necessary to code each sentence, paragraph or chapter or even code a document as a whole. In any case, open coding involves examining the data, identifying important sections and assigning a descriptive name or code to each section.

Open-mindedness

• Open coding is a highly questioning activity and, as such, requires a certain degree of open-mindedness and natural curiosity. The purpose of open coding is open up lines of inquiry, so open-mindedness allows unexpected ideas to be discovered, while natural curiosity does not allow final closure, even after all codes or categories have apparently been identified. Researchers shouldn̵7;t fall into the trap of worrying about the real meaning of words, as this tends to limit their thinking. Six basic questions -- what, where, when, who, why and how -- can often be used to stimulate thinking.

Pros & Cons

• The purpose of open coding is to identify concepts within raw data, group those concepts into categories and build a descriptive framework that can be analyzed at a later stage. The framework is built directly from the raw data, so provided the coding is performed with sufficient expertise the framework is guaranteed to be valid. In other words, the quality of the framework depends on the quality of the coding. However, open coding can be a tedious and time-consuming activity. It may not always be easy to identify where line-by-line coding should cease and if a researcher misses an important concept at any point he may need to start the coding process all over gain.