Field Analysis
Qualitative research is an inductive form of inquiry, and consequently, when you
enter the field you may feel like an astronaut who has just entered outer space and
is experiencing no gravity for the first time! It will take some time to interpret and
learn how to function in this new environment. As soon as you begin to
interview people, observe activities or analyze documents, you intuitively begin
to try and place the new information you are receiving into your research
framework. You also start developing analytic questions, questions that help
clarify your initial findings and help focus your study. Sometimes these questions
are recast to participants and informants in the field, other times they are used to
define your research framework.