Part+Three+-+Collecting+Data

= Part Three - Collecting data, ruminating, and reflecting =

At this point in your research, you should have already identified a clear goal, as well as 2 to 3 research questions. You should be specific in identifying the individual or group you're studying in your research. Finally, you may have already started to collect data.

Your data for this project will most likely consist of observations, interviews, and possibly some other forms of research. These other forms of research might include collection of newspaper articles, online video, or primary source data needed to learn more about your focus.

While you are collecting data, you need to return to your research questions often, asking if they are making sense, seeing if you need to tweak them (or your data sources), and reflecting on your growing ideas/hunches about what you’ve found.

You should document these hunches after completing your observations/interviews, etc. and bring these ideas to class to share. Class time will be allotted to discuss observations and provide guidance to support you as you act as a qualitative researcher.

In your post for part three of this project, please create a chart like the one below. You should have 4 to 6 points of data collected before submitting for review.

Within your chart you should provide the date of the observation, specific research question that you're addressing, your data of interest (what interests you), and the hunches you have from the experience.


 * **Observation Date** || **Research Question** || **Data of interest** || **Hunches, questions, points of interest for further study** ||