Dear all,
I have been folowing the discussions on this list and
the various interesting responses posted here.
I am going to add another to these. I am currently
writing my thesis. During my fieldwork in a very
sensitive and conflict ridden part of South Asia and
among extremely self-conscious politicised and
sometimes scared individuals, i rarely had any
opportunities to record or tape interviews. The
dangers of being found taping with hidden recorders
outweighed the merits or the ethics of the situation.
I entered through contacts which gave me credibility
such that i was welcomed and encouraged to write about
them.
I jotted notes of my conversations and discussions,
informal and formal interviews. As i realised I could
not tape them so i worked hard at recording them in my
memory. My respondents were not willing to be
recorded, the only thing i recorded was a translation
of a long Tibetan text, few songs and recitals during
rituals. Even offers of presenting transcripts would
not have elicited data, as people preferred to be
anonymous. Sometimes I would ask them if they were
willing to be quoted on a statement, and i got their
assent on these there and then. I left the fieldwork
area with a committment that select people in the
field would have access to my thesis and right of
dissent.
What i am trying to say is that instead of adopting
pre-determined attitudes we should try out multiple
strategies in the field. That is the way I had to work
at gathering my data.
Maybe Elaine you should experiment with a few
interviews and write a preliminary peice and compare
the benefits of either approach. Transcribing for your
own data is a very different experience from
transcribing for others. It is not drudgery, but
remembering, a pleasure as you write your thesis. As
you have indicated you have established your
credibility and are taping conversations, so obviously
some element of personal interest and committment is
involved in your research. Your expression of ethical
considerations is appropriate.
Elaine, again i would suggest that you should learn
from your past experiences in varying capacities, yet
do not let certain negative or uncomfortable
experiences and impressions colour your methodological
approach or the process of thesis writing.
I don't know if my comments are helpful. Ultimately
each of us have to tailor our methodology and decide
what suits both our research design and our
personalities. Talking and discussing with peers
definitely helps.
I will add here that i have been using end-note since
november 2000 and i have used it not just for
bibliographies but to construct a database of the
interviews and discussions, profiles of persons after
my fieldwork. I was working in an extremely backward
and remote parts that had no electricity hence i could
not use computers but had to rely on note-books. I
spent 14 months in the field.
People did not get distracted with these note-taking
actions as it gave them a sense of importanvce that
what they uttered was imp. Although they were not
willing to be taped.
Yes, i have used viavoice for transcribing interviews
and seminars. It is a helpful package and helps to
minimise wrist fatigue. Although i prefer to type my
thoughts out while writing the thesis. But the package
has worked effectively when i was transcribing other
peoples' work during my stint in the voluntary sector.


Best of luck to all those in the midst of or thinking
of starting fieldwork. I would like to suggest that
the ultimate tool we all need while gathering data
during fieldwork is to keep an open mind, a balanced
perspective and above all not project a opinionated or
rigid image in either fieldwork or later when writing
our thesis. Our subjective experiences will have an
impact but we should try to minimise them as well.

cheers!
vibha

__________________________________________________
Yahoo! Plus
For a better Internet experience
http://www.yahoo.co.uk/btoffer

SOCREL-PG is the Postgraduate e-mail list of the BSA Sociology of Religion Study Group.

To  join SOCREL-PG, send the following one-line message:
join socrel-pg YOURFIRSTNAME YOURLASTNAME
to: <[log in to unmask]>

Send contributions to the list by
sending messages to: [log in to unmask]

To leave SOCREL-PG, send the following one-line message:
leave socrel-pg YOURFIRSTNAME YOURLASTNAME
to: <[log in to unmask]>