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. 2014 Oct 1;3:36. doi: 10.1186/2049-9957-3-36

Table 2.

Steps in the analysis method framework used for the analysis of interview and focus group responses

Step Explanation
1 Identifying initial themes by reading the document, writing memos about the data, and creating a coding list with definitions.
2 Labeling or tagging data by theme by applying the coding list to other documents and iteratively making revisions to the coding list for new themes that emerge.
3 Sorting data by theme, each in a separate matrix that allows the reader to clearly see the data and the document from which it came.
4 Summarizing and synthesizing data in another similar matrix that only captures the content and context.
5 Identifying elements and dimensions, refining categories, classifying data in another matrix by reading the matrices from the previous steps and labeling the data to suggest what it represents.
6 Detecting patterns by searching within and then across documents for linkages and repetition.
7 Developing explanations by giving reasons that relate to the patterns found in the previous step.