According to the coding scheme, coders focused exclusively on manifest content in order to establish a high degree of reliability in coding three factors: the degrees of differentiation (i.e., the number of discrete cognitive categories mentioned), the average elaboration (i.e., the extent of detail provided for each mentioned category), and integration (i.e., the interconnectedness of the various cognitive categories mentioned) in the answers provided by respondents.

The coding instrument asked coders to focus on nine conceptual categories that had been identified from a preliminary examination of the open-ended responses. To establish differentiation, coders were asked to judge which constructs were present in an explicit fashion in each answer. For example, if a respondent mentioned in her answer the “importance of ensuring due process for all,” this would have been coded as one construct (category #6: rights/constitution/freedoms). If in addition to mentioning due process, the respondent wrote about the threats posed to national security by the activities of certain groups and the need to ensure public safety, the coder, recognizing the presence of a second construct (category #5: national security/safety), would give this response a value of 2 in terms of construct differentiation.

In addition to the number of constructs present in the answer, coders were asked to rate the degree of elaboration for each concept that was present. Following the example given, just mentioning the importance of due process would have been coded as low in elaboration. A one-sentence explanation of due process would have received a medium elaboration grade, while an extended explanation of due process (two sentences or more on the subject) would have been coded as high on elaboration.