Process: More data collection

I have selected interviewees based on profiles that were generated from the initial questionnaire.

With approval from my dissertation committee chair, I have reduced the number of interviewees from 16 to 8. This was in part due to the fact that I have a smaller sample than expected. I also do not have enough time this semester to conduct 16 interviews plus follow-ups!

So far, I have scheduled 5 of the 8 interviews this week and have conducted one already. (The fact that I got 5 replies in less than a week is short of a miracle!) I am hoping to conduct all of them before Thanksgiving week next week. Life gets crazy after they return. Then just about everything and everybody shuts down in early December.

I could not conduct the interviews any earlier primarily because some online discourse data was not yet online! This in turn was due to the schedule of topics for the course. So my hands were tied.

On reflection: If I had much of a choice, my efforts this semester would serve as a trial run and I would collect data for my disseration next semester instead. Why? The instructors of the course where I collect my data and recruit participants are still working out the kinks. (One major kink is deciding just how much reflection take place online!) I could also have used the trial study results to publish a paper or two. I can still take this route but it is a bit risky since I plan on returning home in July 2006.