Memoing in Qualitative Research: Probing Data and Processes

Memoing in qualitative research Probing data and processes

Abstract This paper explores memoing in the context of qualitative research methodologies. The functions of memos in the research process are discussed and a number of techniques for employing memo writing to enhance the research experience and outcomes are examined. Memoing is often discussed in the literature as a technique employed in grounded theory research, yet there is limited exploration of the value of memo writing in qualitative methodologies generally. Memoing serves to assist the researcher in making conceptual leaps from raw data to those abstractions that explain research phenomena in the context in which it is examined. Memos can be effectively employed by both the novice and experienced researcher as a procedural and analytical strategy throughout the research process. Data exploration is enhanced, continuity of conception and contemplation is enabled and communication is facilitated through the use of memoing. While guidelines exist to aid in the production and use of memos, memoing remains a flexible strategy wherein the process of construction and nature of content is determined by the preferences and abilities of the researcher and the aims and focus of the specific research study.

Introduction

Research in the qualitative tradition is characterized by an emphasis on contextually situated meaning. The researcher must delve into the world of their participants with the aim of developing a shared understanding of how existence in this social arena is influenced by phenomena under study. Achieving this aim is dependent upon the use of techniques that aid in the exploration of issues with unreserved fervour yet which permit acknowledgement of subjective influences and maintain quality in the research process. Memoing enables the researcher to engage with the data to a depth that would otherwise be difficult to achieve. Through the use of memos, the researcher is able to immerse themselves in the data, explore the meanings that this data holds, maintain continuity and sustain momentum in the conduct of research. As a chronicle of the research journey, memos remain as an indelible, yet flexible, record for personal retention or dissemination to others. This article will discuss the role of memoing in qualitative research and will examine how memos can be utilized by both experienced and neophyte researchers to enhance the process and outcomes of research in the qualitative domain. In order to illustrate the effective use of memoing, examples will be drawn from our own research into the experience of nurses undertaking tertiary study in Malaysian Borneo.