Youth-engaged qualitative analysis is the practice of training and partnering youth as collaborators in coding, theme development, and interpretation of qualitative data. Evidano is an AI-powered qualitative data analysis platform that helps researchers analyze interviews, open-ended surveys, and documents. According to the PLOS ONE article published July 30, 2026, the RISES Project recruited a youth advisory board of five transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth and trained them to code transcripts and advise on themes. This post explains the RISES process, highlights the numeric results reported in PLOS ONE on recruitment and coding, and maps those lessons onto AI-enabled workflows for research teams and UX or health researchers using the primary keyword youth-engaged qualitative analysis.
Key Takeaways
According to the PLOS ONE article published July 30, 2026, the RISES Project trained a five-member transgender and gender-diverse youth advisory board to participate in qualitative analysis and achieved sustained participation and concrete coding output. The PLOS ONE authors report an 83.3% retention rate after one year and that the trained coders completed 25 of 42 transcripts during the study.
- 5 TGD youth formed the youth advisory board; recruitment began on 08/04/2024 and 12 people completed the screening survey in that phase.
- In 2025, the qualitative study interviewed 21 TGD youth aged 12–22 to explore barriers and promoters of research participation, as reported in PLOS ONE on July 30, 2026.
- YAB members coded between 2 and 6 transcripts each and together contributed to coding 25 out of 42 transcripts, with 21 transcripts double coded (42 code passes total), according to the PLOS ONE report.
- The project paid YAB members $125 every 3 months and $10 per transcript during the coding period, a compensation change that followed participant feedback in 2025.
What happened and how the RISES YAB worked
The RISES Project embedded youth-engaged qualitative analysis by recruiting and training a five-person TGD youth advisory board that participated in all stages of the qualitative study, according to the PLOS ONE article published July 30, 2026.
The PLOS ONE team recruited YAB members beginning on 08/04/2024, screened 12 respondents, interviewed 8 candidates, invited 6 to consent, and maintained active participation from 5 members; one member left after one month for scheduling reasons.
The RISES team provided structured training before analysis: NIH Good Clinical Practice training plus three 45-minute didactic sessions and hands-on coding practice using practice transcripts, all documented in the PLOS ONE methods section.
YAB members and mentors applied Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis approach, independently coded overlapping transcripts to build a codebook, and performed double-coding for rigor; PLOS ONE reports the YAB/mentor pairs coded 25 of 42 transcripts and the research team resolved discrepancies by discussion.
Findings snapshot
| Date / Phase | Metric | Value | Implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/04/2024 (recruitment start) | Screening surveys completed | 12 completed | Narrowed to 6 invited; shows multi-stage screening builds fit |
| 2025 (qualitative interviews) | Study participants interviewed | 21 TGD youth aged 12–22 | Provided the transcripts used for YAB-informed analysis |
| Year 1 (after one year) | YAB retention | 83.3% retained | High retention linked to compensation, mentorship, and flexibility |
| Coding period (3 months target) | Transcripts coded by YAB/mentors | 25 of 42 transcripts (21 double-coded for 42 total code passes) | Demonstrates feasible scope when mentors share workload |
| Compensation policy update (during study) | Stipend schedule | $125 per 3 months and $10 per transcript | Frequent, modest payments improved engagement |
Implications for qualitative researchers and UX teams
The direct implication is that properly supported youth advisory boards can contribute valid qualitative coding and interpretation, according to the PLOS ONE report published July 30, 2026.
Research teams should plan for resources: the PLOS ONE authors note that monetary compensation and dedicated mentorship time were decisive; the team moved from $250 per 6 months to $125 per 3 months after feedback, increasing perceived fairness and retention.
Teams running youth-engaged qualitative analysis should build layered support: the RISES workflow combined didactic training, mentor pairing, weekly check-ins, and a research coordinator liaison to balance burden and learning.
How Evidano helps with youth-engaged qualitative analysis
Problem: Scaling training, feedback, and double-coding across mentors and youth
Answer: Use reproducible AI-assisted workflows to share codebooks, track coding assignments, and surface discrepancies.
Evidano is an AI-powered qualitative data analysis platform that helps researchers analyze interviews, open-ended surveys, and documents. Evidano’s platform centralizes transcripts, codebooks, and versioned annotations so mentors and youth coders can work asynchronously with a shared audit trail.
Evidano features include thematic and content frequency reports and visualizations that let mentors show YAB members how codes aggregate in minutes rather than hours; see Evidano features for details.
Problem: Protecting privacy and managing sensitive youth data
Answer: Use tools with PII redaction and research-focused security controls.
Evidano supports transcription with custom dictionaries and PII redaction and encrypts data so teams can mentor and review sensitive transcripts securely; these controls map to the privacy needs documented in PLOS ONE when working with TGD youth.
Problem: Turning YAB input into reproducible themes and deliverables
Answer: Combine collaborative coding with AI-aided synthesis to produce reproducible theme summaries and exemplar quotes.
Evidano’s AI chat over your documents and its thematic export features let teams capture the codebook evolution and export clear tables of themes, frequencies, and representative quotes that match the reporting practices used by the PLOS ONE authors.
FAQ: youth-engaged qualitative analysis
How feasible is it to train youth to do qualitative coding?
Direct answer: Training youth coders is feasible when training, mentorship, compensation, and flexible timelines are provided.
Supporting detail: The PLOS ONE study published July 30, 2026 reports 100% of the YAB members who completed training were trained in qualitative analysis and each coded 2–6 transcripts; structured didactics plus practice transcripts and mentor pairs enabled this outcome.
What level of researcher involvement is needed when youth co-code transcripts?
Direct answer: Researchers must provide active mentorship, a liaison coordinator, and a mechanism for resolving coding discrepancies.
Supporting detail: The PLOS ONE team paired each YAB member with at least one mentor, used a research coordinator as a liaison, and resolved code differences through PI-facilitated discussion, which allowed coding to complete within the intended timeline.
How should teams compensate youth advisory board members?
Direct answer: Compensate YAB members frequently and transparently to maintain engagement.
Supporting detail: The PLOS ONE team adjusted compensation from $250 per 6 months to $125 per 3 months and added $10 per transcript, a change the authors associate with higher retention and engagement.
Can AI tools preserve rigor when youth are co-analysts?
Direct answer: AI tools can preserve and document analytic rigor but must be used with transparent processes and human oversight.
Supporting detail: The PLOS ONE authors used reflexive thematic analysis and human double-coding; AI platforms like Evidano can accelerate code aggregation and discrepancy detection while preserving human-led theme development.
Conclusion & Next Steps
The PLOS ONE article published July 30, 2026 demonstrates that youth-engaged qualitative analysis with a five-person TGD youth advisory board is practical when teams invest in training, mentorship, clear responsibilities, and compensation.
The PLOS ONE authors observed an 83.3% retention rate after one year and documented that YAB members coded 25 of 42 transcripts with mentor support, numbers that other teams can use to plan resources and timelines.
If your research team or UX group plans to implement youth-engaged qualitative analysis, combine structured mentorship with tools that document codebooks, track double-coding, and export reproducible theme tables.
To experiment with an AI-assisted, secure workflow that supports collaborative codebooks and human-in-the-loop thematic synthesis, Try Evidano for free.