Qualitative Codebook Creator
Master qualitative data analysis with this comprehensive codebook creator designed for researchers, graduate students, and qualitative analysts. Systematically organize codes with detailed definitions, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and example quotes. Build a hierarchical coding scheme organized by themes, track code frequency, and calculate inter-rater reliability using Cohen's Kappa to ensure coding consistency. Perfect for grounded theory, thematic analysis, content analysis, and phenomenological research. Features dual-tab interface for codebook management and reliability testing. Export your codebook to CSV for sharing with team members or to JSON for backup. Includes automatic reliability interpretation based on established standards (Landis & Koch). Essential for dissertation research, qualitative studies, and mixed methods projects requiring rigorous coding procedures.
Key Features
- Create and manage codes with themes
- Define inclusion and exclusion criteria
- Add multiple example quotes per code
- Track code frequency and usage
- Expandable/collapsible code details
- Search codes across all fields
- Filter by theme
- Sort by code, theme, or frequency
- Duplicate codes for efficiency
- Inter-rater reliability calculator
- Cohen's Kappa with interpretation
- Percent agreement analysis
- Agreement/disagreement tracking
- Export codebook to CSV
- Export to JSON for backup
- Import from JSON to restore
- Save to browser local storage
- Statistics dashboard
- Theme breakdown analysis
- No login required
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a codebook in qualitative research?
A codebook is a structured document defining codes used to analyze qualitative data. It includes code names, definitions, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and example quotes. Codebooks ensure consistency in coding, enable inter-rater reliability assessment, document analysis decisions, and facilitate transparent, rigorous qualitative analysis. They evolve through iterative coding cycles as themes emerge from data.
How many codes should I have in my codebook?
Start with 10-20 primary codes, which may expand to 30-50 codes including subcodes as analysis progresses. Too few codes (under 10) miss nuance; too many (over 75) become unwieldy. Balance breadth with manageability. Use hierarchical structures with parent codes and child codes for organization. This tool helps manage multiple levels of codes with clear relationships.
What is inter-rater reliability and why does it matter?
Inter-rater reliability measures consistency between independent coders analyzing the same data. Cohen's Kappa ≥ 0.60 is acceptable, ≥ 0.80 is excellent. High reliability demonstrates your coding scheme is clear, replicable, and not idiosyncratic. This tool calculates Cohen's Kappa to assess agreement and identify codes needing definition refinement.