A method includes a first encoding operation associated with a first algebraic error correcting code generating a first set of first parity bits corresponding to a first set of information bits and a second set of first parity bits corresponding to a second set of information bits. A second encoding operation associated with a second algebraic error correcting code generates a first set of second parity bits corresponding to the first set of information bits and a second set of second parity bits corresponding to the second set of information bits. A third encoding operation generates a set of joint parity bits. The first set of information bits, the second set of information bits, the first set of first parity bits, the second set of first parity bits, and the joint parity bits may be stored in a data storage device as a single codeword.