Title: Social Mediation a Critical Component of Quantitative Ethnography

Quantitative ethnography provides us with a unique ability to apply quantitative research methods to qualitative data for the purpose of making stronger claims about people's experiences. However, findings in a quantitative ethnography are only as valid as the process used to code the qualitative data. In physics education research, qualitative studies help reveal how students construct conceptual understanding in peer discussions, instructor-led activities, and technology-enhanced environments. An important aspect of this research process is validating the findings that we draw from our participants' experiences. Taking positionality statements a step further, social mediation rather than interrater reliability, allows researchers to analyze their own role in the coding process, recognizing how their interactions and experiences influence their interpretation of qualitative data. This approach provides a deeper understanding of how the researchers determine codes, rather than merely ensuring coding consistency.