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What makes a code unusual?
When researchers code qualitative data, they label ideas or topics found in material such as interviews. Creswell and Creswell distinguish expected codes, surprising codes, and codes of unusual or conceptual interest. An unusual code draws attention because the idea is unexpected and may help illuminate what the data mean.
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That makes conceptual interest the key distinction: an observation does not qualify just because it is rare, colorful, or strange. Its potential significance comes from what it may help explain in relation to the study.
Expected, surprising, and unusual codes compared
| Code category | Was it anticipated? | What makes it notable? | Creswell and Creswell’s example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected | Yes; it follows from the literature or common sense. | It is a topic a reader would reasonably expect to arise. | “Attitudes toward oneself” in a study of bullying. |
| Surprising | No; it could not have been anticipated before the study began. | It is an unforeseen finding. | In a leadership study, how geo-warming could affect a building, including office location and proximity. |
| Unusual or conceptually interesting | Unexpected. | The idea is conceptually interesting and may contribute to an interpretation. | “Retriggering” in a study of a campus response to a gunman. |
These categories are useful ways to notice different kinds of ideas during coding. They need not be treated as rigid, mutually exclusive bins: an analyst should explain how a particular idea fits the study rather than relying on its label alone.
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How “retriggering” became a code and a theme
Creswell and Creswell describe a campus response to a gunman incident. A psychologist called in to assess the response raised the idea that people had been reminded of past traumatic incidents. The authors identify “retriggering” as an important code that ultimately became a theme.
The example shows a possible analytic progression: an idea emerges in the material, receives a concise code, and then contributes to a broader interpretation. It does not establish a universal coding procedure, nor does it make “retriggering” a diagnostic conclusion. The value of the code depends on the evidence in the study and the question being investigated.
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How to assess an unexpected code
Use the label as a prompt for analysis, not as proof that you have found a meaningful result. For a candidate code, make the reasoning visible:
- Show the evidence. Quote or accurately describe the relevant data so readers can see what prompted the code.
- Name the idea. Use a concise label that captures the meaning you see in that material.
- Explain the surprise. Clarify why the idea was not anticipated in the context of the study.
- Connect it to the question. Explain what the idea may help interpret and how it relates to the research question.
- Support any broader claim. If you treat the code as a theme, explain how the underlying evidence supports that interpretation.
This approach separates a genuinely illuminating idea from a striking detail that has no demonstrated bearing on the study. Creswell and Creswell’s example illustrates one code becoming a theme; it should not be read as a rule that every unexpected code must do so.
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Further reading
For the framework, see John W. Creswell and J. David Creswell’s Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, fifth edition, published by SAGE in 2018. SAGE’s book page identifies the authors and title.
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