Question

In order to post-code answers to open questions, it is necessary to:

a) Count the frequency with which each answer has been given
b) Categorize unstructured material and assign a code number to each category
c) Identify the three most commonly cited responses and give them a code
d) Find out where each respondent lives and make a note of their postcode

Answer 1

The correct method for post-coding answers to open-ended questions is categorizing the material and assigning a code to each category, important for qualitative data analysis.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to post-code answers to open-ended questions, the correct approach is to categorize unstructured material and assign a code number to each category. This is important because open-ended questions result in a vast range of responses that are subjective, such as personal beliefs, political views, and morals. The process involves thematic structures, interpretation, selective coding, and formulating categories. This qualitative data is more challenging to organize than quantitative data, which can be simply counted and statistically analyzed. Qualitative data analysis relies on the analytical and critical thinking skills of the researcher, and formulated categories help in linking the findings to the research questions.