Sun Ho's Questions

1. In analyzing semi-structured interviews, Schmidt suggests the analytical strategies of five stages: formation of analytical categories, assembly of those categories into a coding guide, coding, quantifying surveys, and case interpretations. First and second stages of this process, setting up analytical categories based on the material and coming up with a coding guide, seem to be the most difficult and tricky part in carrying out a research study based on interviews. I am planning to do a semi-structured interview for our next assignment and wanted to ask Dr. Harp to share her experience in carrying out a research study like this: What are the do's and don'ts in setting up those categories and coding for interviews? Is there anything we cannot learn from these articles?!

2. Reader (2006) compared journalists working for small vs large newspapers to see if the size of the news organization makes substantial ethical differences in terms of journalistic practice. But he never mentions how demographic differences could have played into the results. Demographic information is something we always include in surveys. What is the most efficient way of taking this into account when conducting interviews?

3. Deuze (2005) sets up comprehensive lists of topical categories and interpretative repertoires based on his interviews. Although his way of categorizing the interview material was pretty clear, some of the categories seemed to overlap. When starting from raw material, how should we draw lines between different analytical categories?

4. Curtin and Maier (2001) conducted focus groups and divided the groups of journalists into math-phobic individuals and nonphobic individuals. Table 1 (p 723) shows how they developed the categories for their open coding analysis and Table 2 (p 724) explains how they distinguished the two groups. However, they didn't explain how the categories from open coding led to the dichotomy for axial coding. If one needs clear rules to follow but willing to turn to outside experts, for example, what do we define that individual as, a phobic or nonphobic?

5. Many of the readings for this week mentioned/used the schema set forth by Glaser and Strauss in coding transcripts. Am I the only one who's not familiar with this? Can anyone offer a further explanation about their coding schema?