Pages in this section:
3ļøā£ Section 3: Coding
ā The Coding Panel: creating factors and links
ā Editing factors and links
#ļøā£Link hashtags
š The Manage Links tab
š Factor labels: introduction
š Simplifying causal maps with hierarchical coding
š Hierarchical factors
š· Autocomplete factor labels
š Factor labels: semi-quantitative
š Factor labels: using hashtags
āā Opposites
š Ellipses
š Statement memos
š Context
ā¹ The info panel
š Factor labels: actual facts?
š Plain coding
ā Top tips on coding
š New Documentation Page
Ā
All sections:
Plain coding
Summary
Causal mapping doesnāt usually deal with the kind of non-causal themes which are the focus of ordinary QDA (like in NVivo!). However sometimes it can be really useful to be able to simply note the presence of something without any causal connection.
We call this āplainĀ codingā. You can use it for:
- Noting the presence of something which is not mentioned as part of a causal link in the statement you are coding but does appearĀ elsewhereĀ as a causal factor as part of a causal link.
- ā¦Or noting the presence of something which is ānothing butā a theme and never appears in causal coding.
Causal Map makes this possible in a simple way: we define a āplainĀ codingā as simply a link from a factor to itself with has the hashtagĀ
#plain_coding.Factors involved inĀ plainĀ codings (whether some of the time or all of the time) can of course still be involved in hierarchies and opposites coding just like any other factor.
So by default,Ā plainĀ codings will still appear in maps, as self-loops from the factor to itself, although it is possible to exclude such links by using the appropriate transforms filter: āØ Filters: Include or exclude hashtags.
DoingĀ plainĀ coding like this has the big advantage that factors coded withĀ plainĀ codings will still appear in the tables in the ordinary way, so for example theĀ plainĀ coding to (and from) the factorĀ increased incomeĀ will still count towards its source and citation counts.
It also means that you can easily delete aĀ plainĀ coding from a map by clicking on the link.
The hashtagĀ
#plain_codingĀ distinguishesĀ plainĀ codings from actual causal links where a factor indeed influences itself, for example if someone says that increased income led to even more increased income ā in this case the hashtag is not used. This hashtag can also be used together with other hashtags for the same link in the usual way.What the app does
This implementation ofĀ plainĀ coding is quite simple.
There is just a little button forĀ plainĀ coding.
- If you press it, it will toggle the hashtagĀ
#plain_codingĀ (you could also edit the hashtag manually but why bother).
- When a coding you are going to make, or one which you are editing, has this special hashtag, the consequence factor selector is greyed out and always has the same contents as the influence factor.
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