The interviews in the homes were transcribed and then coded for themes. Audiotapes and videotapes were transcribed verbatim using standard transcription codes suggested by Wolfe (1998). After each step in the analysis, I continually reflected on what was learned from the participant and how that might shape future interviews. Transcripts were read repeatedly to become familiar with the content and to listen for emerging themes. Observer comments from field notes pertinent to the research questions, plus any points of clarification, reflections, or reflections on points of clarification, were added to the transcripts in the margins to provide a rich and more complete description of the data (Creswell, 1998).

The open coding process, based on the descriptions given by Miles and Huberman (1994) and Cohen and Manion (1994), was dynamic and iterative in nature with little structuring done a priori. The data were organized and read repeatedly in a search for emerging themes. Initial tentative codes were given to help assign meaning to themes based on my research questions. This early structure evolved as the actual themes developed in the data with the process of coding and recoding several times. Different colored markers were used to mark blocks of data by theme. The codes generated for each case were grouped to help form categories within these various interactions and then were cross-referenced through similar characteristics across cases (Lincoln and Guba, 1985).

Constant Comparative Method

The inductive processes of case study research places the data analysis in parallel with further data acquisition. This process allows the research to follow emerging themes during the study. This means that the researcher is driven by the analysis as it evolves along with the developing outcomes. Further data may also be sought to compile a complete description of an emerging theme.