Proposal of a Qualitative Content Analysis Process for a Solo Researcher

Abstract Qualitative analytical methods are important in many academic fields, including informatics. Although qualitative content analysis (QCA) is used for text, a coding method for a solo researcher has rarely been discussed. This work suggests a systematic QCA process for single coding based on the inductive-dominant approach. We developed a single coding method with a practical example based on an 11-step process: (1) decide research questions and purposes, (2) collect texts for analysis, (3) determine the unit of analysis, (4) engage in partial inductive coding of the target texts, (5) analyze frequent words found in the text, (6) use these frequent words and inductive coding to create a temporary coding schema, (7) collaborate with multiple experts or researchers to verify the temporary coding schema, (8) code the entire text based on the coding schema, (9) after a certain period, re-code the text based on the coding schema to calculate the intra-rater reliability, (10) confirm the final version of the coding schema, and (11) develop categories through code abstraction. Our process is suitable for a single researcher and for analyzing various text types qualitatively from a specific and consistent perspective. This study provides an exploratory foundation for examining the single coding process.