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Table 1 The seven stages of phenomenographic analysis [7]

From: Defining and measuring quality in acute paediatric trauma stabilisation: a phenomenographic study

1. Familiarisation

Reading through all interview transcripts in depth to get an impression of how the interview proceeded.

All data (viewpoints) in the entire pool are given equal consideration.

2. Condensation

Identifying meaning units in the dialogue of each interview and marking or saving these for further scrutiny.

3. Comparison

Comparing each of the meaning units for similarities and differences.

4. Grouping

Allocating answers expressing similar ways of understanding the phenomenon to the same category.

5. Articulating

Capturing the essential meaning of a certain category.

6. Labelling

Expressing the core meaning of each of the categories.

Steps 3–6 are repeated in an iterative procedure to make sure that the similarities within and differences between categories are established.

7. Contrasting

Comparing the categories through a contrastive procedure whereby they are described in terms of their individual meanings as well as in terms of what they do not comprise.