Analysis Framework of Text Data

Coding is a type of qualitative data analysis that identifies patterns and develops concepts. Patterns can be “similarity (things happen the same way), difference (they happen in

predictably different ways), frequency (they happen often or seldom), sequence (they happen in a certain order), correspondence (they happen in relation to other activities or events), and causation (one appears to cause another)” (Hatch, 2002, p. 155). “Concept” is interpreted meaning of data (Corbin & Strauss, 2015, p. 57).

The coding method is a way to categorise “rules as meanings” and form “unarticulated meanings” (Lofland & Lofland, 2006). “Rules as meanings” is a shared meaning attached with values whilst “unarticulated meanings” are not verbalised or recognised by the respondents. Similarly, Little, Burger and Croucher (2018) reported that their participants at a music festival were “continually unable to describe their experience adequately, a term called ineffability” (p. 87). Thus, “unarticulated meanings” are significant to investigate experience and can be identified through “typifications” with categories or themes created by the researcher through the meanings revealed in the data (Krauss, 2005).

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Coding is heuristic, and it progresses from the precise and concrete data to a broader and more abstract concept. The coding process involves identifying codes, forming categories (e.g. similarities), discovering interrelationships (e.g. interaction, sequence, hierarchy), developing themes and constructing a key assertion or theory by the end of the analysis. These

procedures are usually cyclical (Figure 5.1).

<--- memo writing,

identify relationships --->

CODE LIST  CODEBOOK  CODES  SUB-

CATEGORIES  CATEGORIES  THEMES  KEY ASSERTION or THEORY a priori

codes

define each code code datum into a code; identify inductive codes classify codes into sub- categories group sub- categories into categories

develop themes with categories as descriptors

construct a key assertion or theory

specific ---> (continuum of coding) ---> abstract

Figure 5.1: The coding process. These procedures are iterative, and the stages may overlap.

A code is a short label assigned to a segment of data that symbolises a pattern or substance. It can be indicating a fact, personal characteristic, setting, emotion, behaviour, process,

magnitude, outcome or value. A more effective code usually contain only one attribute. Codes are defined in terms of its meaning, variations and parameters, and they were listed in a codebook that acts as a mnemonic device to maintain consistency in coding.

Selected text data from interview transcripts and survey forms were lemmatised and coded; each piece of this encoded datum is called a “node”. A datum may be assigned with more than one code through “simultaneous coding”. Codes that were identified as significant and have a common meaning were grouped into sub-categories. A category is the “descriptive level of text and is an explicit manifestation of the participants’ account” and later used as the “descriptors of themes” (Vaismoradi, Jones, Turunen & Snelgrove, 2016, p. 102). A theme is a “thread of underlying meaning implicitly discovered at the interpretative level”, “that

organises a group of repeating ideas”, and “has a high degree of generality that unifies ideas” (Vaismoradi, Jones, Turunen & Snelgrove, 2016, p. 101).

Before the coding process, the researcher transcribed the interviews and read through the transcripts repeatedly to achieve “data immersion” to obtain an understanding of the overall data. The coding process comprised first cycle coding which was mainly assigning codes to data, and second cycle coding that involved categorisation and conceptualisation (Saldaña, 2016). In the first cycle coding, “initial coding” method was used where data were separated

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into discrete parts according to similarities; the second cycle employed “focused coding” where categories were formed based on conceptual similarities (Saldaña, 2016). The coding process also involved “memo writing” which means recording insights of the data and reflective notes on the activities during data analysis. Data saturation was gained when no more new codes were found.

In this research, there are a priori codes which were predetermined before data collection and derived from the keywords in the research questions or related literature. There are also inductive codes which were ideas that evolved during participation observation in fieldtrips, meanings emerged during data processing, frequently used synonyms or in vivo terms (actual words) of the participants. The codebook was updated several times during the coding process (Table 5.1).

The types of codes are divided into descriptive, values, emotion, action and associated

meaning. Descriptive codes are referring to sound objects and their characteristics. The others are related to affective-ness in experience and attitude in terms of the way the respondents think, feel or behave.

NVivo 11, a Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) developed by QSR International was used as a repository and for data management as well as to assist in interview transcriptions, coding analysis and memoing. Word Clouds were generated to present an illustration of the top few words used in the responses as an initial step to explore the ways participants describe their experience. The larger size of the word and the position of the word nearer to the centre of the World Cloud indicate the higher frequency of usage, and that also imply the higher significance of those elements among the respondents. Every World Cloud may have a different number of words depending on the frequencies of usage by the respondents. Data from the word frequency search are also presented in table format for reference.

The results of coding are presented in Chapter 5 and 6. Quotes from responses without names mean that the respondents did not provide their details. Any italic in the quotes is an emphasis added by the researcher.

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TYPE OF

CODES CODE SUB-CODE DESCRIPTION

descriptive sound sources geophony rain, thunder, wind

biophony insects, frogs, birds

anthrophony music, dance, conversation, cheers, crowd, walking, cooking

mechanophony generator, electric fan, air-conditioner, audio feedback, vehicle

sound properties loudness

frequency beats timbre vibration sound characteristics masking

sound quality engineered sound, use of technology

soundscape structure

values sound preference negative dislike, wrong

neutral indifference, no comment

positive good, like, right, important, memorable emotion feeling

action enjoy music

socialise dance drinking associated meaning cultural

traditional ethnic, primality

local sounds, people or things that are related to

Sarawak or Borneo

international from around the world, global, foreign

different variety, diversity, many, new, unique, fresh, first,

other

informative gain knowledge, learn, stories, intellectual

atmosphere vibe, ambience, buzz, festive, energy

territorial expression remote places, geography, country

appropriation hybrid, aestheticisation, modernised

intermediated sounds that are influenced by other people other

than musicians

authenticity the authenticity of world music

presentational stage music presentation

participatory interactive

heteronomous

spectatorial observing others

background background sounds

commercialisation profit-oriented

control the way technological sounds affect behaviours

conformity following other’s culture

safety security, rave, family-friendly issues

predictability predictable sounds

homogeneity similar sounds, monotonous

sociable friendly, kind

cosmopolitanism activities or sounds for diverse people

rainforest natural, animals, insects, birds, weather, scenery,

beach, mountain, sea, green, landscape, open-air

ethnic lifestyle the local way of life

escape away from the city or daily life

compatibility coherency of place to the music festival

mobility ability to move around the festival site

aural fatigue aural saturation, aural health

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