Recommend a book

This book is worthwhile reading: «Making sense of qualitative data: complementary research strategies» by Amanda Coffey and Paul Atkinson, 1996. London: SAGE. Particularly, the chapter: concepts and coding is very useful for coding qualitative data.

Grounded theory in action

This morning, I read a section of an e-book provided by the university library. It is a very valuable paper that you should read if you are non-experienced researcher who is thinking of adopting GT in your research. See if you can get it: Tuettemann, Elizabeth (2003). Grounded theory illuminates interpersonal relationships. In: Thomas A. O’Donoghue and Keith F. Punch (eds.) Qualitative educational research in action: doing and reflecting. London: RoutledgeFalmer. pp.7-25.

I quite like this sentence “it is not what you say but how it is perceived”, which the author said for explaining the process of analysing raw data through interviews. Indeed, it is the reason why my supervisor always suggests me read and re-read the interview transcripts to get a “feel” for the real meaning of the weblogs phenomenon.

A weblogs research issue - be a blogger or an onlooker?

What is a good research about blogging? I consider it often. It seems this is a similar question to what is a good reasearch. I use this blog to experience blogging, try to get a feeling of blogging, and try to find what the motivation of blogging is. As Lawley points out that the lack of blogging experiences probably is a key problem that impact on blog research. But how deep researchers could involve themselves into the blogging research?

“Why” question is not suitable to ground theory

Getting serious about grounded theory is an article written by Angela McCarthy in 1999 when she was a PhD candidate. There are valuable experiences and lessons she got after chose methodology and applied grounded theory. In my research, I didn’t ask “why”. It seems I knew this by literature reviewing. My research questions are only about “what” and “how”. However, I have the similar feeling with the author that “how little I know”.

“The PhD journey is not so much about the information gathered but about the personal process of finding one’s way. It is not just about the methodology chosen, it is about the profound experience of adult learning when one is reduced to being a novice again.”

Father’s Day

I have to write something for my parents after got my father’s phone. It’s definitely much more than the acknowledge sentences in my thesis.

Morning, listened the radio, full of music and stories about father. It’s Father’s Day (UK&USA). I should phone my father even though it is not the Chinese father’s day and I haven’t bought a gift for my father yet.

I am not a good daughter as I always do things slower than my parents. What I’m able to consider, they have already thought over for me. Before I called them, my phone was ringing.

.......

I: “Dad, happy father’s day! I miss you and mum.”

Dad: “Only young people know this. When did it become popular in China? It doesn’t matter. I’ve got your sister’s message. ”

Dad: “How is going? Are you still very busy?”

I: “I’m all right. Have many things to do everyday, keep doing.”

Dad: “Take care of your health. How is your research going? Do you invent anything new? Your research should present creation.”

I: (Embarrassed!) “I should say that it’s discovery rather than invention. But you are right, the study itself is creation. I should show the bit of creation.”

I: “Dad, I got software google earth which I can check the location when I miss you all…”

......

In China, almost everyone knows this sentence: "Pathetic are the feelings of all parents under heaven toward their offspring.” My dad and mum care about me, my siblings and our future too much. Although each time, I tell them, I’m ok, no worries, they still cannot help thinking of me. How could I lessen their anxiousness? We have good times and bad times, we have ups and downs. We know that parents love us deeply and they know that we love them as well……

(image from http://www.creativecyberspace.com/greetingcards/thumbs/fathershands.jpg)

Educational blogs

Come across Professional-Lurker blog which was nominated for the Best designed/most beautiful edublog in the 2005 EduBlog Awards. And realised that I have read many of the articles written by the author: Lois Ann Scheidt, and co-authors Herring, Susan C. Kouper, Inna, and Wright, Elijah L.. Their research regarding weblog as a genre has been widely noticed and cited.

And this International Edublogging Women’s Day 2006 is to encourage the women edubloggers.

What will you present?

Talking with my supervisor, he told me that the research presentation can be made early. Good, but I have to consider what I would like to say. He suggested, just image that tomorrow you have to make a presentation. Tonight, before you go to sleep, lie there, you could think what you would like to tell people about the research? It could be what your reviewed things are, what the current research is, what your problems are, or what you have done. Many things you could tell people and get feedback.

Yes, I’d like to talk with people about my research and my puzzles. But for me, the presentation is not a conversation. It is a chance for finding out my errors and mistakes. The early the better.

But how could I fall asleep tonight before I review the day's happenings and have an idea what I would like to present.

Some thesis writing tips

Yesterday, I attended a thesis writing seminar. Whatever the thesis is thick, like 400 pages or thin, e.g., 160 pages, I think we can not put them together and compare them, because every thesis is unique and every topic is unique.

The professor Robert Poole gave his personal opinions of writing thesis. Besides what I have already remembered, there are some interesting points he mentioned:

• Typical thesis should not more than 200 pages. The more you write, the more you may get it wrong. Surprising! But I found many theses are more than 300 pages and already more than 80,000 words.
• The more you read your thesis, the less errors are.
• Ask some one who is not familiar in your area to read your thesis and ask you questions.
• List and summarise what you think should be covered in your thesis under each different part when you get any idea in your mind.

Have multi-blogs, necessary?

Today I read a Chinese blog entry “What’s up if someday the BOKEE does not work any more?” The author suggested people have more than one blogs on different blog services to not only avoid blog service crash but also improve an individual’s reputation on the web. There are some impressive perspectives:

• Even though we are not initially intent to make friends through blogs. But because a blog is a family, people visit each others’ blogs, and then eventually they become friends unconsciously.
• One blog is a dead blog, two blogs are tracking blogs, three blogs are playing with blogs, four blogs are making out blogs, and more than five blogs are really utilising blogs.

Weekend blogging

It's nice to read this entry "Why Blog?" from Bald Man Blogging. The more people blog, the more they feel in blogs.

Probably, most people are sitting in front of TV, watching World Cup. Blog about it such as World Cup 2006 Blog and WORLDCUPBLOG could be very noticeable these days.

Whom are you blogging for?

It was an interesting conversation with one of my friends. He knows weblog, only about the MSN space, because his research area is quite different from mine. Here is the brief part of our conversation:

He: “if I created a blog, then I would like to get many people’s comments, let more and more people read it. How could I get that?”

I: “well, why do you want to have a blog?”

He: “To get people read it. If no one read it, sadly, I probably will not continue to write it. Can I check how many people visit my blog?”

I: “Yes. There is a visitor counter which helps you know how many people have read your blog. I think most people realise their blogs are online, will be noticed or neglected; they more or less want to know who read their weblogs. But some of them do not really very care of this, they just like writing, whereas some people quite care about this, they try to check it every time when they are online.”

He: “Uhm, I’m definitely the person who will try to look back the blog often, maybe every hour, haha ……”

He: “So what is the significance of your research? Will it be used in industry or somewhere?”

I: “It’s a good question. The study doesn’t like a product, an experiment or hardware, can be employed obviously. But it aims to reveal the nature of a phenomenon and it is indeed able to be used in education, professional development as well as business management….”

Well, bloggers not only write for themselves, but also write for others, they know or they don’t know in the virtual space.

(Image from

http://janeysjourney.typepad.com/photos/portrait_gallery1/conversation.jpg)

Blog & education resources

Blogging E-Learning community is a community of Chinese educators about using blogs in education, especially in e-learning.

This web page provides resources of using blogs for cooperative learning and teaching, supported by ESSDACK.org.