It sure helps, I feel at least a little more secure about the way I work. And I
would be interested to write a paper. (I have to finish my PhD by September
too, but what the heck.;-))
By the way, Lyn, if it's not too much trouble, could you give me a reference to
the book or article of Barry Turner you were referring to?
Thanks!
Anja
Lyn Richards wrote:
> Sarah wrote:
>
> Here Lyn that's a bit scarey - emmm the conference I mean. But I am
> intrigued - can you give me more details cos I've missed the
> announcement,
> methinks.
>
> - details are on the website
> http://www.ioe.ac.uk/conference_news/Codiary.htm.
>
> >And of COURSE you can give a paper in my session (!!!)
>
> Thankyou, Sarah, I'll start writing my paper for it now :-)
>
> Sounds like Anja may have one to contribute too? Anja, you put the central
> dilemma very clearly:
>
> > I can keep on coding because there's always something else to be
> found. It's very confusing and it makes me doubt the quality of my work.
>
> None of the qualitative methodologies offer much comfort here - I've been
> heard to say I've seen students wait for months for theory to "emerge" from
> the data! But all qual methods carry conviction that synthesis will occur
> and at that point there won't be more (significant categories) to be found.
> Whatever your method, synthesis-seeking is going to be critical. Obviously,
> the coding game tends, if conducted alone, to encourage atomism -
> maximization of categories - not synthesis. So the researcher has to strain
> to draw in those disparate threads, again and again: (like macrame). And
> this means moving from coding to exploration and reflection of categories.
>
> I was helped years ago by the distinction Barry Turner made between theory
> emergence and theory construction. Coding is great for category emergence,
> but if it becomes mere data disposal (this goes there) it won't ever support
> theory construction. One way is doing just what you said you had done:
>
> >At a certain point, I just stopped coding and started to read and
> reread my data and give myself time to simply think about it.
>
> Yes, keep thinking, and keep exploring the categories, not just disposing of
> more data into them. You'll find as you turn your attention to the nodes,
> reworking them, browsing them and coding on to finer categories, your focus
> changes.
> Hope all this helps!
>
> cheers
> Lyn
>
> Lyn Richards,
> Research Professor of Qualitative Methodology, University of Western
> Sydney,
> Director, Research Services, Qualitative Solutions and Research.
> (email) [log in to unmask]
> (Ph) +61 3 9459 1699 (Fax) +61 3 9459 0435
> (snail) Box 171, La Trobe University PO, Vic 3083, Australia.
> http://www.qsr.com.au
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