10/6 READ: from Bogdan & Biklen on interviewing (94-101) and/or something on coding data

A few things jumped out at me when reading this article. The first, being a human being is a teachable thing. To listen to understand, shoutout to Steven Covey, is a key trait that makes an effective qualitiative researcher. Seeking clarification when something is new. Getting to know the subject first. This is overshadowed in the demographic I serve because I often look like them and have had similar experiences. I should not let prejudices get in the way of building an initial relationship. 

In studies that rely predominantly on interviewing, the subject is usually a stranger. (It is common in studies that involve long-term interviewing with one or very few subjects, however, for the researcher to be acquainted with the subject before the research begins.) A good part of the work involves building a relationship, getting to know each other, and put- ting the subject at ease (Whyte, 1984, esp. Ch. 6).

." Many subjects feel self-conscious at first, contending in a self-effacing manner that they have nothing important to say. In these cases, the interviewer must be re- assuring and supportive. Less often, the potential subject will be challenging, questioning your methods and the soundness of the study. In those cases, you must stand your ground without being defensive. "

Being able to agree to disagree is fundamental to doing interviews because your goal is not to agree, it's to gain data. so poking the bear could be a good strategy. This is what I hear when I read "you must stand your ground without being defensive.

"Informants can be taught to respond to meet the interviewer's interest in the particulars, the details. They need encouragement to elaborate."

Encouragement to go into greater detail could be the difference between great data and a feel good conversation that results in limited understanding. 

It has been our experience that judging the quality of data we get from interviews is sometimes difficult. Often what you think is a wonderful interview turns out to be disap- pointing when you read the transcript. The reverse is also true; interviews perceived to be bad produce good transcripts. This occurs, we believe, because judgments of the interview itself are more a function of how you feel about the subject and how comfortably the con- versations proceed; and this may not tell much about the richness of data concerning the informant's perspective. 

 By probing or poking the bear you may uncover a more sound and indepth and mulit facited view on a topic. There were many interesting topics given in the "how to interview". That's how i thought about it. Trancribing the conversations and getting them on paper turns it into data. 

https://getthematic.com/insights/coding-qualitative-data/#

What is coding in qualitative research?

Conducting qualitative research, particularly through coding, is a crucial step in ensuring the validity and reliability of findings. Coding is the process of labeling and organizing your qualitative data to identify different themes and the relationships between them.

When coding customer feedback, you assign labels to words or phrases that represent important (and recurring) themes in each response. These labels can be words, phrases, or numbers; we recommend using words or short phrases, as they’re easier to remember, skim, and organize.

But coding is more than just categorization—it is an iterative and reflective process. As researchers engage with the data, they refine their codes, uncovering deeper meanings in the text. As Pual Mihas mentions in his book:

“One of the strengths of coding is that it sustains this period of wonder, of checking and rechecking, naming and renaming, and ‘diving in and stepping back. Coding creates a conceptual foreground against the larger canvas of copious data.”

I wonder if probing subjects towards certain themes or keywords would skew your data, or would it help fine-tune it to the question you have? I mean, if I know my question is the role of afterschool programs and rites of passage, I can use that question to guide the questions I ask a subject in an interview when talking about their youth football experience and their first role models of manhood.