Which comparative coding measure should I choose?
Overview
Document presence is the percentage of documents in a group containing the code and is often the clearest choice for comparing differently sized groups. Within-group evidence share is the code’s share of all coded segments in that group and describes coding composition. Coded evidence count is the raw number of coded segments and is sensitive to group size, document length, and coding opportunity. Find it under Analysis › Frequencies & Comparison › Comparative Patterns.
What to do
- Use Document presence when the primary question is how widely a code occurs across cases.
- Use Within-group evidence share when comparing the composition of coding inside groups.
- Use Coded evidence count when raw volume itself is relevant and group denominators are reported.
- Do not switch between measures without updating the caption and interpretation.
When to use it
- To decide which measure fits your question before you compare groups.