Establishing Thematic Reliability in Qualitative Energy Research in Malaysia Solar Energy System for Household: An Empirical Evaluation Using Cohen’s Kappa Statistic
List of Authors
Mior Harris Mior Harun, Muhammad Haziq Mohammed, Peck Leong Tan
Keyword
Cohen’s Kappa, Inter-coder Reliability, Thematic Analysis, Solar Energy Systems, Qualitative Validation, NEM 3.0 Malaysia
Abstract
This study evaluates the inter-coder reliability of thematic analysis in a qualitative investigation on the adoption of Solar Energy Systems (SES) among Malaysian household consumers. As part of the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews with nine SES adopters under the NEM 3.0 program were conducted and analyzed using open coding. To ensure analytical rigor, Cohen’s Kappa statistic was employed to validate coding consistency between two independent raters. The resulting Kappa value of 0.9205 demonstrates almost perfect agreement, reinforcing the credibility of six dominant themes: Financial Viability, Service Capability, Technology Flexibility, Company Credibility, Regulatory Feasibility, and External Influences. This paper discusses the calculation process, agreement interpretation, and implications for qualitative energy research. The findings highlight how incorporating statistical measures such as Cohen’s Kappa can enhance reliability assurance in thematic analysis, particularly in interdisciplinary fields where subjective coding risks analytical bias.