What if I don’t have my own data to bring to the workshop?
Using your own data is the best way to extend your learning: your data stimulates you to seek more information. There is an added advantage that creating your own project at the workshop provides the opportunity to trouble-shoot some of the start up and design issues in a guided environment. Some people like to attend workshops prior to data collection and this can be beneficial as you gain useful knowledge for project design. There are benefits either way, and if you don’t have raw data you can bring along literature or any other material that will form part of your project.
How should I format my data?
There are advantages to be gained from formatting and to some extent this will be determined by the working processes you develop. The basic method for interview data is shown on the website and other methods discussed at the workshop.
How do Research Assist workshops differ to QSR workshops?
QSR workshops are run by IT trainers who know their software well. Research Assist workshops are run by an active researcher (see profile) who uses the software on a daily basis over many years, and who has undertaken a range of projects diverse in their methods, aims, size and breadth. 360 degree research experience allows us to work comfortably with a mix of qualitative and quantitative source materials and data. We look at common pitfalls and problems as well as design issues and coding dos and don’ts, and offer a follow on service for those requiring commercial or academic coding and/or analysis. Read what our clients have said .
File naming conventions? There is some interesting mythology floating around! NVivo will recognise a file regardless of the name you give it – alpha or numeric, longish or short. There are some conventions that make things easier. Generally – keep the name short and alpha may be better – only because some people are annoyed that if using numbers NVivo sorts arithmetically – ie. 1 then 11 then 111 followed by 2 and 20 and 200 and so on. Don’t add groupings to the name – for example "Interviews stage 1 with teachers on 23rd September_Alan Jakins. Just call it Alan Jakins – the extra information can be preserved by use of organising folders. Rest assured that you will always know (in several ways) where the files come from or what group they belong to, WITHOUT lengthy names. It is also advisable to apply any psydonyms at the onset of the research process.
