Comparison
In vivo codes vs descriptive codes
A side by side comparison of two first cycle coding methods from Johnny Saldaña's coding manual. Descriptive codes name what a passage is about in the researcher's words, which makes them easy to count. In vivo codes copy the participant's own phrase in quotation marks, which keeps feeling and vocabulary. Use it to decide which method fits your interview study, or to explain the difference to a team new to coding. Koji attaches a verbatim participant quote to every code it creates, so in vivo candidates are ready to pick out.
Where this appears
What's in this comparison
Descriptive codes
- Name the topic in the analyst's words
- Short nouns, such as "data cleaning"
- Easy to count and compare across many interviews
- Lose feeling, slang and exact phrasing
In vivo codes
- Use the participant's exact words
- Written in quotation marks, like "fix the dates by hand"
- Keep emotion, insider terms and metaphors
- Need a second cycle to become themes
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<a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/in-vivo-vs-descriptive-coding-comparison"><img src="https://www.koji.so/visuals/in-vivo-vs-descriptive-coding-comparison/in-vivo-vs-descriptive-coding-comparison.png" alt="Comparison of in vivo codes and descriptive codes: in vivo codes keep the participant's exact phrase, descriptive codes name the topic in the analyst's words." width="1200" height="630" /></a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/in-vivo-vs-descriptive-coding-comparison">In vivo codes vs descriptive codes</a>, Koji</p>
