Axial Coding
The second phase of Grounded Theory coding where researchers draw connections between the categories generated during open coding.
What is Axial Coding?
Axial coding involves taking the fragmented codes created during open coding and reassembling them by identifying relationships, contexts, conditions, and consequences. Researchers group codes into broader categories and explore how these categories relate to one another (e.g., determining what causes a phenomenon, what strategies people use to manage it, and what the outcomes are).
Why Axial Coding Matters
Axial coding elevates the analysis from merely describing the data to explaining it. It helps build a cohesive conceptual model by mapping out the structural and causal relationships between disparate observations.
Example
After open coding interviews about workplace stress, a researcher uses axial coding to link the category 'Micromanagement' (causal condition) to 'Employee Burnout' (phenomenon), and 'Taking frequent sick days' (strategy).
Common Mistakes
- Failing to explicitly define the relationships (e.g., causal, temporal, conditional) between categories, leaving them as a disconnected list.
- Focusing too heavily on creating a rigid paradigm model at the expense of ignoring contradictory data that doesn't fit neatly into the framework.