From text to codings: intercoder reliability assessment in qualitative content analysis

High intercoder reliability (ICR) is required in qualitative content analysis for assuring quality when more than one coder is involved in data analysis. The literature is short of standardized procedures for ICR procedures in qualitative content analysis. To illustrate how ICR assessment can be use...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nursing research (New York) Vol. 57; no. 2; p. 113
Main Authors: Burla, Laila, Knierim, Birte, Barth, Jurgen, Liewald, Katharina, Duetz, Margreet, Abel, Thomas
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01.03.2008
Subjects:
Adult
Clinical Nursing Research - methods
Data Collection - standards
Data Collection - statistics & numerical data
Female
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Low Back Pain
Male
Middle Aged
Observer Variation
Qualitative Research
Quality Control
Reproducibility of Results
ISSN:1538-9847, 1538-9847
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary:High intercoder reliability (ICR) is required in qualitative content analysis for assuring quality when more than one coder is involved in data analysis. The literature is short of standardized procedures for ICR procedures in qualitative content analysis. To illustrate how ICR assessment can be used to improve codings in qualitative content analysis. Key steps of the procedure are presented, drawing on data from a qualitative study on patients' perspectives on low back pain. First, a coding scheme was developed using a comprehensive inductive and deductive approach. Second, 10 transcripts were coded independently by two researchers, and ICR was calculated. A resulting kappa value of .67 can be regarded as satisfactory to solid. Moreover, varying agreement rates helped to identify problems in the coding scheme. Low agreement rates, for instance, indicated that respective codes were defined too broadly and would need clarification. In a third step, the results of the analysis were used to improve the coding scheme, leading to consistent and high-quality results. The quantitative approach of ICR assessment is a viable instrument for quality assurance in qualitative content analysis. Kappa values and close inspection of agreement rates help to estimate and increase quality of codings. This approach facilitates good practice in coding and enhances credibility of analysis, especially when large samples are interviewed, different coders are involved, and quantitative results are presented.
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ISSN:1538-9847
1538-9847
DOI:10.1097/01.NNR.0000313482.33917.7d