Why Hire Manual Coding Services?

Manual coding is still the mainstream way of coding market research data. There are a few reasons why you may hire manual coding services, including:
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1. You’re Used To It, And It’s Working Fine

As we said earlier, manual coding was the gold standard for many years. If you’ve been in the market research field for a long time, it may just be that you’ve gotten used to the way things are. It’s working fine for you, and we understand that.

But times are changing, and this may not be the best approach any longer.

2. Your Customers Asked For It

Despite advancements in automation, some clients still ask for (and perhaps even require) exclusively manual coding due to regulatory reasons, company policies, or concerns about data accuracy. Outsourcing manual coding ensures these needs are met.

3. You Can Get Added Services Alongside Coding

Outsourced manual coding can be bundled with complementary market research services such as:

• Data Cleaning – Ensuring that survey responses are properly formatted and free of inconsistencies.
• Tabulations – Organizing coded responses into meaningful tables for easier analysis.
• Translation – Accurately coding responses from multilingual surveys while preserving meaning and intent.

4. You Need Accuracy, Tailored To Fit Your Needs

Manual coding can be accurate and tailored to fit your needs—if you’re lucky to find the right service provider.

While it makes sense to use market research coding services in some scenarios, it does have some downsides to be aware of.

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Why Shouldn’t You Choose Manual Coding Services?

There are seven issues you should consider before hiring a market research coding service:

1. Slower Turnaround Time

Manual coding is inherently time-consuming, particularly for large datasets. Since every response must be read, interpreted, and categorized by a person, this process can create bottlenecks and take a long time to complete. It may even delay the research delivery time you can offer your customers.

2. Communication Overhead and Context Switching

Outsourcing requires clear communication between researchers and coders. If the instructions, categories, or guidelines are unclear, it can slow down the workflow by adding more back-and-forth. 

Coders working on multiple projects simultaneously may also struggle with context switching, making it take even longer.

3. Limited Research Involvement

Outsourced coding teams typically lack firsthand knowledge of the customer, the research objectives, or the broader context of the study. This disconnect means that the researcher who understands the target audience and research goals has less control over how responses are interpreted and categorized.

4. Prone to Human Error and Bias

Manual coding is susceptible to inconsistencies, misinterpretations, and individual coder biases. This can lead to errors in categorization, requiring additional quality control checks.

5. Language and Translation Challenges

Multilingual surveys require specialized coders fluent in the target languages. In some cases, translations must be done before coding, adding more time and cost.

If the coding process needs to account for regional dialects, slang, or industry-specific jargon, finding qualified specialists can be difficult.

6. High Cost for Large-Scale Data

For businesses handling high volumes of qualitative data, manual coding can become prohibitively expensive. The cost of hiring human coders—especially those with industry expertise or language proficiency—adds up quickly.

7. Rework Required for Any Changes

If a client wants to refine or adjust coding categories after the coding is done, you often have to start from scratch. Manual re-coding may require even more time and money.