Coding open-text event feedback
The survey returned two hundred comments, and nobody has time to read them twice.
The short answer
Coding means reading the comments, giving each a short label, grouping the labels into themes and counting how many comments sit in each. Build the codes from what delegates actually wrote, have a second person check a sample and keep a short note of what each code means.
Report themes with counts and one or two representative comments, and say how many people commented out of how many responded. Do not present theme counts as results for everyone who attended.
Prepare the comments
- Export the comments into a spreadsheet with one row per comment and a response ID, not a name.
- Remove or mask names, phone numbers and other identifying details before anyone else reads them.
- Keep the original wording in one column and work in another so you can always go back.
- Split any comment that raises two or more points into separate rows.
Build the codes from the comments
Read a first batch of 30 to 50 comments and note the recurring points in plain words, such as Queue at registration or Wanted more case examples. Do not start from a fixed list.
Group similar codes into themes such as Registration, Programme content, Venue, Networking and Communications. Write one line defining each code and one example comment.
Code and check
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First pass | One person codes all comments using the draft code list. | Gets a full first view. |
| Second reader | A second person codes a sample of about 20 comments independently. | Shows whether the codes are clear. |
| Compare | Discuss each disagreement and tighten the code definitions. | Reduces personal reading bias. |
| Finish | Recode as needed and count comments per code. | Gives counts you can explain. |
Handle sensitive comments and personal data
Some comments may name individuals or raise complaints about conduct, safety or access. Set a rule before you start: such comments go to the named owner and are not published in a general report.
Anonymous open text can still identify someone in a small audience. Ask your data protection contact how comments may be stored, who may read them and how long they are kept.
Reporting without overclaiming
Comments come from people who chose to write. State how many commented, how many responded and what the themes were, and do not describe them as the view of all delegates.
Link themes to decisions in the feedback questionnaire plan, and record what you changed in the benefit evidence tracker as observed or not measured.
Worked example · Fictional example
A conference team codes 140 comments
Fictional organisation and figures, written to show the level of detail that is useful.
A fictional engineers' conference received 140 comments from 310 survey responses. The team removed names, split 18 comments that made two points and drafted 12 codes after reading the first 40.
A second reader coded 20 comments independently and the pair agreed on 16. After tightening two definitions, the final report showed five themes with counts, such as Registration queue (31 comments) and Wanted more case examples (22 comments), plus a note that 140 of 310 respondents wrote a comment.
Use this yourself
Open-text coding sheet
Copy this table into a spreadsheet and add one row per comment.
| Response ID | Original comment | Split point (if any) | Code | Theme | Second reader's code | Action owner or note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- You have fewer than about 100 comments and two people can read them.
- The survey is for your own committee and no sensitive complaints are expected.
- You only need to know the main themes, not precise counts.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Hundreds of comments arrive in several languages and need consistent coding.
- Comments may include conduct, safety or access concerns that need a clear process.
- Results feed a report to members, a funder or a regulator, and the method must be explainable.
Want a coding method set up before the survey closes?
An Event Blueprint can include the feedback plan: how comments are collected, who reads them, how sensitive items are routed to the right owner and how themes are reported without overclaiming. Your team keeps the reading and the decisions.
Questions organisers ask
Can we use software to code comments?
You can, but check the output yourself. Software suggestions need a human reading, particularly for short comments and local phrasing. Also ask your data protection contact before uploading comments to any external tool.
How many comments do we need to code?
All of them where possible. If there are too many, code a random sample and say so in the report.
Should we publish quotes?
Only if the respondent could not be identified and your data protection contact agrees. Short, edited quotes with names removed are safer than full comments.
What if comments are in different languages?
Code them in the language written, using the same code list, then count together. Ask a fluent reader to check any translated quote.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.