I am in the data analysis phase of my dissertation right now. Yes, that's correct: My pilot testing is concluded, my proposal has gotten from my committee the green light (as well as four loud-but supportive-horn honks!), my application has emerged from the mysterious forest of the IRB, and my weekend-long spurt of procrastination is complete. Now, the real fun of my qualitative research project begins: coding pages and pages of text from interview transcripts.
One aspect of that coding is writing memos.
According to the reference manual of the qualitative software program I am using, memos are useful and "methodologically important" text files in which researchers "record their thoughts and comments about the document [e.g., an interview transcript] or node [e.g., a theme to be coded]." In other words, memos help a researcher record her thoughts about specific data, especially as these thoughts might help structure and guide further coding.
When I was using this program for a prior qualitative research project, I skipped over the memo-writing step. I thought, "Nah, I don't need no stinkin memos. I'm so excited about this analysis that I could not possibly forget my thoughts about my coding." But actually, I found that I did. After a couple of transcripts, memory begins to blur and fail. It is difficult to recall if that classic example of Theme B came from this transcript or that one. I might have excerpted a particular piece of text to take to a meeting with my advisor, only to arrive and sit there like a fool trying to remember why I thought that was such a good quote. While coding, I found myself salivating over hot epiphanies that further tasting revealed to be merely warmed over insights left over from four transcripts ago.
I vowed not to repeat those work habits. So, this time around I will be a memo-ing fool.
The software manual further describes the value of memos:
From early in a project--especially early in a project!--it is essential to have easy and secure ways of storing ideas. Don't wait till the ideas seem robust. Early insights may be critical in forming your understanding (but often are so tentative or implausible that novice researchers hesitate to commit them to formal records) (p. 30).
Some memos might be just "brainstorming on paper," but others may become developed well enough to export as whole sections of the dissertation. (Oh, how I hope and pray for that happy turn of events!) In addition, I am planning to use my memos as part of my "quality assurance" process. I aim to keep a careful trail of my thinking, decisions, and steps that can be easily analyzed by me and by others. Carefully documented memos will help in this process, making all of this transparent.
It's too early for me to tell if my memo-writing will pay off--in the form of greater efficiency, clearer theory-building, improved rigor, or some other benefits. I'll keep you posted.
References: N6 Reference Guide & Using N6 in Qualitative Research. (2002). Melbourne, Australia: QSR International. www.qsrinternational.com
Memos--sounds like a good plan. They definitely sound like promising pieces for the dissertation--good for you. Best wishes on your data analysis work.
Posted by: Mon at February 28, 2006 04:03 PM