How to handle open-ended questionnaire questions through qualitative analysis?

Qualitative analysis of open-ended questionnaire questions involves systematically interpreting narrative responses to identify underlying themes, patterns, and meanings. This method is feasible and provides rich, contextual insights not attainable through purely quantitative metrics. Effective analysis requires thorough transcription of responses, followed by deep immersion in the data. Key principles include systematic coding (using inductive, deductive, or hybrid approaches), constant comparison across responses to develop coherent themes, iterative refinement of the coding framework, and maintaining researcher reflexivity to acknowledge biases. Attention must be paid to representativeness and saturation of identified themes within the dataset. Implementing this analysis involves several key steps: first, prepare and organize all textual responses. Second, perform initial coding line-by-line to capture core concepts. Third, group related codes into broader, descriptive themes. Fourth, rigorously review and refine themes for consistency and coverage. Finally, interpret the thematic findings within the research context, reporting illustrative quotes and discussing their significance to address the research objectives effectively. This process yields deep understanding of participant perspectives.