Table 4.
The four steps of the analysis process in systematic text condensation according to Malterud [25]
Steps in data analysis | An example from the data | |
---|---|---|
1 | Read transcripts to get a total impression of the data | The impression: Women related to their previous experiences and knowledge when they talked about new knowledge and ideas gained from using the DA. |
→ Identify preliminary themes | Preliminary theme: The effect of pre-understanding | |
2 | Identify and sort relevant text units i.e. meaning units | Text unit: ‘When we continued reading, we thought there’s not really that much you can find out about, except well, it was Down’s syndrome (…) And I don’t think that Down’s syndrome is so bad if my child should have that’. |
→ Meaning units are sorted to create code groups | Code group: Significance of earlier experiences and knowledge | |
3 | Condense the meaning in each code group as if it is a story told by one person | Abstraction: I understood that the test would not give us any information apart from possible DS and I don’t think that’s such a serious condition. |
→ The meaning of code is clarified through abstraction | Meaning: New knowledge about the test and women’s preconceptions affected their views. | |
4 | Summarise the essence of each code group to a synthesis | Essence: New knowledge gained from the DA was comprehended in light of earlier understanding regarding DS. |
→ Validate the results by re-reading transcripts | Re-reading transcripts: confirmed that the code group matched statements in the interviews and that the theme recurred in most of the other interviews. |