The first phase was to develop the REFI-QDA Codebook.

A Codebook in a qualitative or mixed-methods project is a list of defined keywords / phrases that represent themes / concepts or other topics of interest to the researcher. These keywords / phrases are usually referred to as ‘codes’.

In QDA software programmes, codes can be linked to segments of data in the sources where they are identified. As well as listing codes in a Codebook, codes can also be organised in different ways depending on the software programme being used.

Implementation of the REFI-QDA Codebook means that a Codebook developed in one of these software programmes, can be exported and then imported into any of the other programmes listed below.

Because there are differences in how each programme functions with respect to codes and their organisation, users may experience some modifications upon importing a Codebook into a different programme.

For the current version ‘round-tripping’ has not been tested. Round-tripping means going from software 1 to software 2 and then from software 2 back to software 1.

The REFI-QDA Codebook is available for use as detailed in the table below. Testing undertaken by the REFI Coordination Group is indicated, where software was available within the scheduled testing period.