As an anthropologist, I use a field diary (handwritten), I carry my notebook, my pens, camera, video camera, voice recorder, smarthpone, tablet. Arriving at my desk, transfer everything to the laptop, but I keep the originals, well, just in case something happens. I'm like a modern Indiana Jones. ;-)

Perhaps a flow chart with a series of diagrams attached would be useful for compiling the final methods, to highlight the steps taken using a few words as possible but so that someone could repeat the methods used?

Having something like Audit trail may helps, having simple table that noted date, time, activities and methodology notes

yah conqur with Datin

Your question is an interesting one. I have done some work on this problem.

But in the way you formulate your question is a bit to general to answer in a satisfactory way. In particular, it is unclear in what field of research your projects are. Different disciplines have different methods to plan and specify research. For instance, in Medicine it is usual to formulate a protocol that is first thoroughly discussed by a local research committy before it is submitted to a medical ethical committy for assessment. There is also a diagramming method developed to specify a clinical trial (CONSORT statement), although I am doubtful about its usefulnes. However, most medical journals require such a statement for articles that describe intended research.

I have stressed the importance of properly documenting the steps taken in data analysis in our book (See Section 15.1 in Adèr, Mellenbergh and Hand, 2008). I also proposed a special diagramming method to represent methodological knowledge (See Appendix B of the same book). But in practice projects are quite varied and it is difficult to think up

a general method to formally specify research procedures, let alone to develop a template that could be generally used. But maybe your own projects are quite similar and then the above may be useful.

Finally, for my own projects I always use a program called `Advanced Diary'. It is commercially available for a few dollars and makes it possibly to log each of your projects separately.

I hope this helps.

Herman Adèr

Adèr, H. J., Mellenbergh, G. J. and Hand, D. J. (2008). Advising on research methods: A consultant's companion.

Johannes van Kessel: Huizen, The Netherlands.

The book has its own website: www.jvank.nl/ARMHome that links to Google Books so that you can inspect it online.

Sometimes I use MS Project or MS OneNote. MS OneNote allows to generate and organize templates changes according to the needs of each research. I also use MS Visio to work with diagrams.

Thank you so very much for your helpful comments. Margarita I am following your advice and searching for templates as we speak. Herman, your input is appreciated and I will look for your publication. My research has both a qual. and quant. component and I have a large sample. I wish to be very explicit and replicable with my qual. analysis.

I work with mixed research: qualitative and quantitative. To make the database of quantitative variables, I use MS Access, because I can adapt to my needs. For the qualitative part, I'm testing two softwares, are generally used by writers: Scrivener and Liquid Story Binder XE. When you finish the test, I will comment the results.

Best way to track the known events in your research is by using a Gantt chart. I used this methodology in many of my projects therefore simultaneously i could track the status of my work distribution in the projects. By this you can create your own chart of your activities.

Gantt chart used for planning & strategize researchers work. For keep diary to track research work phase by phase, audit trail seems the closest method, though done manually much easier to manage by researcher

You could also think about mind-mapping your research strategy and your research progress. You could do it manually or with software like Cayra or FreeMind. It might be unusual in the beginning, but I think it's a very helpful way to organize thinking.

Hi,

so many variations with qual, I find it useful to go back to the protocol, and just make a list from your diary of what you did and when. It probably won't match the protocol exactly- this is qual! And especially in grounded theory, you are building method with what happens in the field. For me its always important to remember that replication is never truly replication - its adopting the same method with a new project with different people and situations, and may require some adjustments. Hope this helps, - uniformity can be problematic too! ;)

As an anthropologist, I use a field diary (handwritten), I carry my notebook, my pens, camera, video camera, voice recorder, smarthpone, tablet. Arriving at my desk, transfer everything to the laptop, but I keep the originals, well, just in case something happens. I'm like a modern Indiana Jones. ;-)

Hai, Margarita & jacqueline very true, Qualitative researching is all about multi realities and varieties of data keeping methods, so it is actually about finding methods your comfortable with and suitable to ones research.

Hi Datin & Margarita,

Yes to both of you - 'our carry along kits' are so important and are part of our methodology -, I have field note books & recordings which I keep forever- this is the raw material to go back to. My thoughts about what I see and hear are also there as initial impressions and early analysis. I digitally record interractions whenever I can - (not just interviews) -, and keep the voice files even if transcribed. Photos can be helpful about where you were when you saw something or heard it; they can jog your memory about small things which may give insight into the project. (All with consent). (And I make a copy of recordings on another laptop during the project...just in case!). Its very data heavy!

I would also add the need to record your own impressions, impact, surprises, thought, reactions etc. following each data collection interaction of your qualitative data. I found this to be hugely important when I went to construct my own reflective narratives. So often when you get to the transcribed data you can lose some of the riches of the moment - the serendipity that often occurs in the real moment on connection with the participants. I saved these 'personal memos’ moments of ‘reflexive thoughts’ as data files separate to my interview data files. I did not have these transcribed I wanted to reconnect with my subjective reactions and responses to the interview process - I was amazed how this came to life and energized my analysis of the data and enriched the reflexivity of the process. Like Jacqueline above - I save copies on different hard drives (having once lost two years’ worth of data) but be sure to develop a simple and clear cataloguing process so that you know what is the most up to date version etc. Gerard