Reflections on a recent qualitative projectâŠ
Having just finished analysing and writing up some really interesting interview and focus group data, I thought Iâd stop and reflect on some of the things I learned (or was reminded of) from this recent project. One of the things I love about research is that it doesnât matter how experienced you are as a researcher, you learn something new in each project.
- It always pays to write down your thinking. I used the memos function in NVivo quite heavily for this recent project (more so than usual). I kept a memo constantly open on my second screen and as I coded, I jotted down ideas as they came to mind. I also colour coded the ideas within the memo, using different colours for things that needed changed in the coding framework, ideas for writing the report, possible linkages between codes etc. This became invaluable at the writing up stage as I didnât need to rely on my somewhat awful memory â everything was recorded for me.
- Mind-mapping is incredibly useful when analysing and writing-up qualitative data. We used the âMind Mapâ function in NVivo to brainstorm ideas for the coding framework (instant code creation â yay!), and then when I was thinking through the structure of my writing, I used XMind to map out the main ideas from each node. This also enabled me to easily communicate my key findings from the analysis to the colleague I was writing with, and this was really helpful for bouncing around ideas. Speaking of whichâŠ
- It always helps to talk it through with someone else. Having wrestled with one particular section I was writing (and tied myself into knots several times over), I decided to sit down and discuss the problems I was having with a colleague. Within a very short period we had restructured the writing and it all fell into place immediately.
- Tables and models really do make for more interesting reading, particularly when theyâre used to break up rather dense text. The catch though is that they do take a bit more time to create (particularly models). I suspect this is why despite the fact most qualitative textbooks recommend the use of tables and models in qualitative, itâs rare to find them in published journal articles. Allow a little time to be creative and see what you can come up with â once again, talking through with a colleague can be helpful here.
- If youâre constantly referring to sections in your writing, it may mean that you donât quite have the structure right. Itâs quite frustrating for a reader to be constantly told âThis will be discussed in more detail in Section Xâ. Theyâre just getting into the wonderful gems youâre imparting, and then theyâre told they need to wait until later. Occasional references like this are fine, but if youâre using cross-references often, take a look at the structure that youâre writing within.
Because qualitative analysis and writing was something I initially struggled to get to grips with myself, I do enjoy sharing the things Iâve learned with other researchers. If youâd like to hear more, join me online at our upcoming Research Accelerator event. Hope to see you there!