Inductive Coding

Inductive coding develops codes from the data themselves rather than from a preset scheme. The researcher reads the material openly, labels segments with codes grounded in participants' words and actions, and gradually organizes those codes into broader categories or themes. The approach is central to grounded theory and to inductive forms of thematic analysis, and it suits exploratory questions where existing theory is thin.

In a thesis, inductive coding lets you claim that findings emerged from the data, which is persuasive for under-researched topics. That claim needs evidence: keep early code lists, show how codes were merged and refined, and provide coded extracts, so your methodology chapter can trace the path from raw transcripts to final themes. Combining an inductive first pass with a later deductive pass is also common.