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. 2015 Jul 30;3:e1120. doi: 10.7717/peerj.1120

Table 3. Stages of the qualitative analytical process.

(1) Transcription Data were transcribed and organized according to the interview guide
(2) Open reading Two co-authors carefully and independently read and discussed the interview text to obtain an overall impression of the participants’ experiences
(3) Identifying meaning units Patterns in the data were identified by dividing the text into meaning units
(4) Categories Important nuances were discovered by searching for common and distinctive features as well as variation and agreement about suitable categories
(5) Forming themes Two subthemes were formulated Thereafter, analytical reflection and abstraction were performed by searching for an overall theme
(6) Reflection and discussion Dialogue was searched for relevant theory to illuminate and deepen understanding of the findings