Qualitative Analysis of Interview Transcripts

The interviews were transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were reviewed independently by IO and CG. Both IO (sociologist and medical ethicist) and CG (health services researcher) are specialized in qualitative research methods and interviewing techniques. CG carried out an independent analysis of all transcripts using MAXQDA software while following Kuckartz’s steps of content analysis [18 ]. In the first step, the data was coded separately, moving from concrete passages to more abstract levels of coding, including emerging themes. C.G. and I.O. then discussed the codes and C.G. re-coded potentially unclear passages again. Critical reviews and plausibility checks of each analysis of each interview were performed in order to help us to become aware of our own backgrounds and potential bias (reflexivity) [19 (link)]. The codings were then reviewed by a third independent researcher to ensure inter-rater reliability. After two interviews, a preliminary coding guide was developed which was adapted continuously throughout the analysis, adding new codes emerging from the material, if necessary. In research group meetings, all findings were critically tested and discussed. In this way, any discrepancies could be resolved.
For this paper, C.G. translated the quotes and back-translated them to eliminate any confusion of meaning [20 (link)].