Tag Archives: data

a qual. research strategy – empathy mapping

Posted on June 21, 2021 by pat thomson

I dont write much about research methods on this blog. That’s not because I’m not interested in research methods – I’ve published three methods texts, after all – but more because I’m pretty sure people who come here mainly want … Continue reading →

Posted in data, data analysis, empathy mapping, qualitative data | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

playing about with data

Posted on February 24, 2020 by pat thomson

Not everything we do in our research has to have a definite end point. Sometimes it’s good to set aside all those anxieties about ‘getting through and getting done’. We might even like to take some time to simply play … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, data, data analysis, play | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

the joys of creative re-description

Posted on June 17, 2019 by pat thomson

Working with data is a creative process. Yes I know data word has got to be systematic and thorough. You can’t make up your results. But working with data is also always about interpretation. And interpretation, at some point, is … Continue reading →

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beginning data analysis – orienting yourself

Posted on August 21, 2017 by pat thomson

This post is a response to a question about how to begin data analysis. When you were little, I bet you played sorting games. You might have organised pencils into colours, or blocks into various shapes. Later on, you may … Continue reading →

Posted in data, data analysis, orienting questions, qualitative data, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

play with your data

Posted on August 17, 2017 by pat thomson

Data analysis can be pretty scary.  That moment when you realise that making sense of the stuff you’ve so painstakingly generated comes down to you – just you.  Well, relax. It’s not just you that has to leap into the … Continue reading →

Posted in data, data analysis, play, qualitative data, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

pack ratting – a common or garden field work practice

Posted on November 24, 2016 by pat thomson

Pack rats are nest builders. They use plant material such as branches, twigs, sticks, and other available debris. Getting into everything from attics to car engines, stealing their ‘treasures’, damaging electrical wiring, and creating general noisy havoc can easily cause … Continue reading →

Posted in archive, data, data analysis, pack-ratting, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

a little Romantic messiness

Posted on October 2, 2014 by pat thomson

A post for National Poetry Day. It is pretty common for research methods courses and books to suggest that qualitative researchers read through their data – such as interview transcripts – several times. Reading through happens before you get down … Continue reading →

Posted in data, interview transcripts, John Keats, mess, negative capability | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Writing for publication – it’s just a matter of meeting the conventions of a journal, right?

Posted on December 16, 2011 by pat thomson

Well, no. Not exactly. There is more involved in making choices about how to write for your target journal than simply deciding to adopt their usual writing style. I need to explain this assertion. Let’s take the example of what … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, data, epistemology, knowledge production | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments