week 10: 11/29/10 field-based research cont.

1. week 10: 11/29/10 field-based research cont.

2. increasing validity in field-based research (Wolcott, 1990) • talk little; listen a lot (field work) • record accurately (field work) • begin writing early (field work) • let readers see for themselves (writing) • report fully (writing) • be candid (field work and writing) • seek feedback (analysis) • achieve balance (field work, writing, analysis) • write accurately (internal validity) (writing)

3. coding • the heart and soul of constructing a data record from fieldwork data • turning huge data records into a manageable set of factors • top-down codes: from the literature (etic) • bottom-up codes: codes one constructs from the data record (emic)

4. Erickson cont. • fieldwork based research comes from anthropology and sociology, both disciplines that believe human action is patterned—anthro, by culture; sociology, by social laws. • BUT: human beings pattern seekers, and will see patterns where none exist • the biggest challenge to doing good research is the human willingness and ability to fool oneself—one must always be skeptical about what one’s claims

5. data collection • argues against a “romantic” notion and for a “process as deliberative as possible” (p. 140) • the central issue of method is to bring research questions and data collection into a consistent, albeit an evolving, relationship. Framing research questions explicitly and seeking relevant data deliberately enable and empower research intuition, rather than stifle it. (p. 140)

6. 5 major types of evidentiary inadequacy • inadequate amounts of evidence • inadequate variety of kinds of evidence • faulty interpretive status of evidence • inadequate disconfirming evidence • inadequate discrepant case analysis (pp. 140-141)

7. ethics and entrance • liability to risk often the greatest between members of different interest groups in the local setting. Reporting to the general scientific audience usually does not expose people to risk. Reporting in the local setting needs to be considered in the negotiation of access to information about individual in the setting. (p. 141) • negotiation of entry a complex process (p. 142)

8. collaborative relationships with informants • tendency of informants to assume researcher’s purpose is evaluative • useful to have statement virtually memorized of study’s purposes, procedures, and steps taken to maximize confidentiality and minimize risk • never comment to other team members about anything observed in the site while on the site (p. 142)

9. data collection as inquiry • identify full range of variation in modes of formal and informal social organization and meaning-perspectives • collecting recurrent instances of events across wide range of events—so typicality or atypicality can be established • look at events at any system level in context of events occurring at next higher or lower system levels (p. 143)

10. to determine the full range of variation, necessary to begin in the most comprehensive fashion possible. Later one moves in successive stages to more restricted observational focus • informants not usually not fully aware of the full range and depth of culturally learned and taken-for-granted assumptions of social relations etc in everyday life (p. 143)

11. boundedly rational problem solving • fundamental principle: reflection & write-up takes at least as long as observing and need to be completed before returning to the field (conservative estimate) • bias: decisions • about where and when to observe • about foci of attention while observing • premature typication: conduct deliberate searches for disconfirming evidence (pp. 143-144)

12. reporting • empirical assertions • analytic narrative vignettes • quotations from fieldnotes • quotations from interviews • maps, tables, figures etc • interpretive commentary—particular • interpretive commentary—general • theoretical discussion • natural history of inquiry in study (p. 145)

13. validity • the best case for validity rests with assertions that account for patterns found across both frequent and rare events data record • materials collected in field not data themselves, but resources for data. All are documentary materials from which data must be constructed through some formal means of analysis (p. 149)

14. audiences 1. general scientific community 2. policy makers 3. general community of practitioners 4. members of local community studied (p. 153) type 1: known, positively (neutrally) regarded type 2: known, negatively regarded type 3: unknown, positively (neutrally) regarded type 4: unknown, negatively regarded • reporting to local audiences a process of teaching the findings

15. grad life • dealing with university bureaucracy • know the rules (Grad Programs Handbook) • know the gatekeepers (departmental grad programs secretary) • be wary of “Sherman Hall” advising • consult grad student organizations (see website for links)

16. resources for research skills • Sage Press (www.sagepub.com) • website has many links • dissertators (offer to be peer reader)

17. meeting students in other disciplines • grad student organizations • taking classes outside dept and college winter-time activities • ARC & CRCE • ice arena • friend with a fire place

18. video (micro-ethnography) • strengths • capacity for completeness of analysis • reduces dependence of primitive analytic typication • reduces dependence on frequently occurring events as best data sources • limitations • in replaying a tape analyst can only interact with it vicariously • interpretation requires context not on tape

21. the constraints of video • my account of this lesson is rich because I spent a lot of time looking at the tape and because I knew a lot about the kids. But you know what? The first time I looked at it, I thought, “This was it? What did they get so excited about?” I mean, the tape seemed not too much. The fullness of the moment lies in the sensuality of the experience of the here-and-now. That feeling is missing when looking at a tape or transcript because your ongoing experience is not of the here-and-now

22. of the interactional record but of your own context. Making the record come alive is a creative act. It requires engaging the document as though it were the here and now, building up a stream of thought within the record itself. Yes? So: if your students have been disappointed by the thinness of their experience of their records, they shouldn’t expect anything different with this tape. The problem doesn’t lie in the record. (John D’Amato, personal communication, 1993)

23. good intro to fieldwork-based research (with children) Graue, M. Elizabeth, & Walsh, Daniel J. (1998). Studying children in context: Theories, methods, and ethics. Thousand Oaks: Sage. good intro to using video in fieldwork-based research Walsh, D. J., Bakir, N., Lee, T. B., Chung, Y., & Chung, K. (2006). Using Digital Video in Field-Based Research with Children: A Primer. In A. Hatch, Ed., Early childhood qualitative research (pp. 43-62). New York: Routledge.

24. changing one’s mind (Walsh et al.) • do you believe this report? why? • what about generalizability? • what do you learn about teaching from reading this?

25. Sieber: part V • read before you fill out the IRB form • allow sufficient time for the IRB form to clear • assume that you will have to make revisions at least once

26. writing • as you do your literature review, and before you turn the final draft in, look carefully at the example manuscripts in the APA Manual • your manuscript should look like the example manuscripts • if your manuscript doesn’t, figure out why and correct it • learn now—save valuable time and brain cells later

27. ways for international students to improve writing • writers workshop—become a regular • find a good editor and ask editor to keep list of common problems • read good writing • write simply; keep sentences short

28. getting car ready for winter • check anti-freeze • good scraper and brush • lock de-icer • in trunk (for trips): gloves, hats, sleeping bag, candles, collapsable shovel, flashlight • check weather before you travel • if you haven’t driven on ice before, go to large empty parking lot—practice

29. places, ways etc. to relieve stress • DCR: organized trips • organize your desk • plan ahead • develop weekly rituals, e.g., an evening at Urbana Free Library • have escapes: e.g., ARC, CRCE, Krannert Art Museum, Café Kopi, Armory, Homer Lake, Carle Park, Dallas & Co. • form a gang, a group, a posse, a rotating potluck

30. best way to find the best courses • DI incomplete list • other graduate students best way for international students to meet other grad students • ARC, CRCE • clubs • sports • church • go places international students don’t go • get out of Sherman and Orchard Downs

31. best auto repair • Skinner’s Automotive 1004 Eastern, U • Red’s Muffler Shop, 102 W University, U best way to buy used car • Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue • Consumer Reports used-car price service • dissertation defense announcements • end of semester at Orchard Downs

32. bests cont. • Thai restaurant: Siam Terrace, U • bakery: Pekara, C, Mirabelle, U • coffee shop: Café Kopi, C, Café Paradiso, U • breakfast: Le Peep, C • wine selection: Corkscrew, U • barbeque: Black Dog Smoke & Ale House, U • vegetarian restaurant: Red Herring, U • vintage store: Dandelion, C