<aside>

A lightweight system for coding your interviews, documents, and field notes, and keeping every claim in your thesis traceable to the evidence behind it. Built for small and mid-sized qualitative projects. For very large coding jobs, dedicated software such as MAXQDA or NVivo may still serve you better. This system's strength is that it links your raw evidence directly to your final argument, so you can always trace a claim back to its source.

</aside>

The Raw Data Vault

One page per interview or document. Paste the transcript or notes into the page. Tag the source type and mark any standout quotes.

The Master Codebook

This is your central list of themes and codes, built up from the data as you read. Each code gets a clear definition so you apply it the same way every time. A consistent codebook is what makes your analysis defensible.

How This System Works

1. Step 1: Add your raw data. Make a page in the Raw Data Vault for each source. Paste in the transcript or notes. Tag the source type.
2. Step 2: Build codes from the data. As you read, name the themes that recur. Add each one to the Master Codebook with a clear definition. This is the inductive approach: the codes come from the evidence, not from a list you decided in advance.
3. Step 3: Link evidence to codes. Connect each code to the raw sources where it appears, using the relation between the two databases. This is what lets you trace any claim back to its source.
4. Step 4: Read the patterns. Use the Frequency count to see which codes appear most. Group codes by Category to see your argument take shape. When you write your methodology chapter, your codebook is already your audit trail.

A note on rigour

The value of this system is not the software. It is the discipline. A consistent codebook applied the same way to every source is what makes qualitative analysis neutral and checkable, rather than a matter of personal impression. The more systematic your coding, the more defensible your thesis.

Raw Data Vault

Master Codebook