What workflow should I follow for a new study?
Overview
Begin by checking source quality and clarifying the research question. Read a meaningful sample, create provisional codes, define them, and revise the hierarchy before coding the full corpus. Write memos when your interpretation changes. After coding, inspect evidence and patterns rather than relying on frequencies alone. Add only defensible tables, figures, and quotations to Results Builder.
What to do
- Prepare and verify the source material.
- Pilot the codebook on a varied subset of documents.
- Refine definitions, inclusion guidance, and exclusions.
- Code the corpus and preserve negative, ambiguous, and contradictory evidence.
- Review patterns with the original context before reporting findings.