# Open Code

> tool for coding qualitative data generated from text information such as interviews, observations or field notes

**Wikidata**: [Q105229756](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105229756)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/open-code

## Summary
Open Code is a software tool for coding qualitative data such as interview transcripts, observations, and field notes. It is presented as a Windows-compatible program used for qualitative data analysis and is distributed with a proprietary, copyrighted license via a page hosted by Umeå University’s Department of Epidemiology and Global Health.

## Key Facts
- Open Code is a software tool for coding qualitative data generated from text information such as interviews, observations, or field notes.  
- Primary use: qualitative data analysis.  
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows.  
- License: proprietary license (copyrighted).  
- Instance classifications recorded: software and freeware.  
- Official website: https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-epidemiology-and-global-health/research/open-code2/ (English).  
- Wikidata description: "tool for coding qualitative data generated from text information such as interviews, observations or field notes."  
- Microsoft Windows (the required OS family) has an inception date listed as 1985-11-20.

## FAQs
### Q: What does Open Code do?
A: Open Code is used to code and organize qualitative text data such as interviews, observations, and field notes to support qualitative data analysis.

### Q: What operating system does Open Code run on?
A: Open Code runs on Microsoft Windows.

### Q: Is Open Code free to use?
A: Sources list Open Code as both an instance of "freeware" and as distributed under a proprietary, copyrighted license; therefore its licensing status is described with both terms in available documentation.

## Why It Matters
Open Code addresses a core need in qualitative research: systematic coding and organization of textual data from interviews, observations, and field notes. By providing a dedicated tool for applying codes, categorizing passages, and supporting qualitative analysis workflows, it helps researchers maintain rigor and traceability in thematic analysis and related methods. Its availability on Microsoft Windows makes it accessible to many users in academic and applied research settings. The presence of an official distribution page hosted by Umeå University’s Department of Epidemiology and Global Health provides a recognizable institutional source for the tool. Because it is described as software tailored specifically for qualitative coding, Open Code can streamline manual coding tasks that would otherwise be handled by general-purpose text editors or spreadsheet software, improving consistency and reproducibility in qualitative projects.

## Notable For
- Being explicitly described as a tool for coding qualitative data from interviews, observations, and field notes.  
- Distribution and documentation accessible via a Umeå University Department of Epidemiology and Global Health web page (English).  
- Recorded classification as both "software" and "freeware" while simultaneously listed with a proprietary, copyrighted license.  
- Being designed to run on the Microsoft Windows operating system.

## Body
### Overview
- Open Code is a software application focused on qualitative data analysis.  
- The tool is described on its official web page hosted by Umeå University’s Department of Epidemiology and Global Health.

### Purpose and Use
- Primary purpose: coding qualitative data.  
- Typical data types: interview transcripts, observational notes, field notes, and other text-based qualitative information.  
- Use case: supports qualitative researchers in organizing and analyzing textual data for thematic and content analysis.

### Platform and Requirements
- Operating system requirement: Microsoft Windows.  
- The Microsoft Windows family is noted with an inception date of 1985-11-20 in the associated metadata.

### Licensing and Copyright
- License: listed as a proprietary license.  
- Copyright status: copyrighted.  
- Instance metadata also records Open Code as "freeware," indicating differing descriptors in available sources.

### Distribution and Website
- Official web resource: https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-epidemiology-and-global-health/research/open-code2/.  
- Website language qualifier: English.

### Classification and Metadata
- Instance_of entries: software; freeware.  
- Wikidata-style description: "tool for coding qualitative data generated from text information such as interviews, observations or field notes."