>
>I am finding WinMAX to be a really easy, user friendly package to use.
Great for coding and text/code retrieval. Its just marrying it up with the
more advanced stages of the Grounded Theory procedure that I am finding a
bit of a problem...
Lisa..
when you say more advanced - do you mean you have a bit of a problem -
actually using the theory building tools in WINMAX - or do you mean the
process of - graduating to the actual writing, generating theory bit?
Although I don't assume for sure that it is the latter, I think a lot of
people experience a difficulty here; the use of a software package may have
helped in generating codes - in fact made it too easy; possibly now you have
a lot of codes and coded segments and don't quite know where to go from here -
In Winmax and to a certain extent in Nudist - soemtimes the way you create
the hierarchy of codes - almost begs you to go further - the hierarchy calls
to you - 'heres some stuff to compare for a start' - why not start there?
(I wonder how you have organised your hierarchy? - do youhave one?)
In Winmax - its just a process of activating the hierarchical higher order code-
and retrieving everything - code by code below the hierarchy;
you can sort the retrieval in either way - direct comparison, sorted in
respondent or code order which ever way you want. When you see somethign
interesting - write about it -in a memo -
In both software packages - the structure of the hierarchy can to a certain
extent limit you - in the sense that you cannot express a real relationship
between concepts, (except by writing about it) - but in another sense a
coding hierarchy - properly structured, applies an initial 'system' and
direction to those next steps which mgiht be based on earlier and
consistent coding of the data collected so far
- i.e. comparing, contrasting,(especially these two)
and making connections between THINGS.
Of course you do not need a hierarchy at all in either software to start
asking questions -
- re Winmax, start asking questions using the 'analytic strategies' tool-
feel what it feels like - and maybe you will begin to see how you can build
on the results of questions -
and always write what you know - write down the things and questions that
occur to you, and write the ideas THEN, STRAIGHT AWAY, TOUTE DE SUITE,
PRONTO in a central place in the software!!
cheers
Ann Lewins
___________________________________________________________________________
Ann Lewins, CAQDAS Networking Project, Dept of Sociology
University of Surrey, GUILDFORD GU2 5XH, U.K
tel +44(0)1483 259455 fax +44(0)1483 259551
CAQDAS WWW page: http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/caqdas/
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