Youth-Engaged Qualitative Analysis: Practical Methods

According to the PLOS ONE article, partnering five transgender and gender-diverse youth as a youth advisory board (YAB) enabled youth to co-develop a codebook, code transcripts, and provide thematic feedback across a one-year project (PLOS ONE).

• Retention: According to the PLOS ONE article, the YAB achieved an 83.3% retention rate after one year (published July 30, 2026).
• Training and contribution: According to the PLOS ONE article, 100% of YAB members who were trained completed qualitative analysis training and each member coded between 2 and 6 transcripts during the project in 2025–2026.
• Sample and scope: According to the PLOS ONE article, the underlying qualitative study interviewed 21 transgender and gender-diverse youth in 2025 and the YAB/mentors together coded 25 of 42 transcripts.
• Practical supports: According to the PLOS ONE article, the team changed compensation to $125 every 3 months in response to YAB feedback and used encrypted group messaging (Signal) to improve meeting attendance and safety.

Summary answer: According to the PLOS ONE article, the RISES team recruited and trained a five-member transgender and gender-diverse youth advisory board to participate in qualitative analysis across recruitment, coding, theme review, and dissemination.

According to the PLOS ONE article, recruitment began on August 4, 2024 and targeted TGD youth aged 16–21 with a history of disordered eating, using screening via REDCap and the EDE-QS instrument; 12 people completed screening, 8 completed the interview and follow-up task, 6 were invited, and 5 remained active for the year.

According to the PLOS ONE article, the team used Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis steps, provided NIH Good Clinical Practice training, ran three 45-minute didactic sessions, paired each youth with a trained mentor, and assigned double coding where feasible.

According to the PLOS ONE article, YAB members coded 2–6 transcripts each and, together with mentors, coded 25 of the total 42 transcripts; the PI resolved discrepancies and the YAB reviewed and confirmed preliminary themes before finalization.

Direct answer: According to the PLOS ONE article, researchers who want to include youth in analysis should budget for training, mentorship, flexible timelines, and frequent compensation.

According to the PLOS ONE article, training non-research youth requires a mix of formal didactics (NIH Good Clinical Practice and three 45-minute sessions in this study), hands-on practice codings, and one-to-one mentorship to achieve analysis competence.

According to the PLOS ONE article, logistical choices such as encrypted group messaging (Signal), scheduling reminders, and options for synchronous or asynchronous coding materially improved attendance and participation.

According to the PLOS ONE article, assessment and adaptation matter: the RISES team tracked meeting attendance and coding load and adjusted responsibilities so each YAB member coded between 2 and 6 transcripts without burning out.

According to the PLOS ONE article, the RISES project demonstrates that youth-engaged qualitative analysis is feasible with dedicated training, mentorship, flexible timelines, and fair compensation.

According to the PLOS ONE article, the team’s concrete outputs included 5 trained YAB members, 25 transcripts coded by YAB/mentors, and a retention rate of 83.3% after one year (published July 30, 2026).

If your team is planning youth-engaged analysis, start by budgeting for training and mentorship, use secure communication channels, and pilot a small codebook exercise that youth can modify.

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