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 | Coding
Coding is the process of taking qualitative data and extracting information from it into a quantitative form through a controlled vocabulary. The controlled vocabulary transforms the collected information into a countable set of data categories, without discarding important information or misrepresenting the collected information. For example, qualitative descriptions of human rights violations may be categorised into groups such as "killings," "forced displacements," and "sexual assaults." Coding is a necessary step in the development of statistics from qualitative data sources. Coding is also sometimes used in the field during a survey, for collecting quantitative information. In that case, the controlled vocabulary/data categories are determined prior to data collection, and the interviewer is responsible for coding a respondent's qualitative information and recording the appropriate code on the questionnaire. | |