Inquiry plan: Data vs. Analysis - Module 2 Skype Discussion 03/05

Yesterday I attended the skype discussion for module 2, after having received feedback on my inquiry plan draft. The main focus of the discussion was how to finalise our inquiry proposals and it began with everyone sharing an important piece of feedback, they received on their own draft. 

For me, the most important feedback I received was that I seem to be trying to collect too much data for a 12-week inquiry and that I need to focus more on the analysis rather than the data collection. 

This feedback for me was a relief as it really put into perspective what the main focus of an inquiry/qualitative research should be. That is, of course, the data analysis and not the data collection.

This means that the quantity of data you acquire is not near as important as what you do with it and therefore you should allow yourself more time to analyse the data than collecting it.

For the purposes of understanding this fully, Adesola asked us to describe our analysis - what it is we want to find out. This should go way deeper than just our inquiry question, it should explain in detail what exactly we want to find out within that question. After describing our analysis the next question is - what kind of data do you intend to use in order to perform this analysis?

We were then encouraged to challenge each other on the data tools we intended to use. Are all of them important? Do they all inform our analysis? I think what I did and what might be a common mistake is to look at the inquiry question I have shaped, decide on data tools that I think would be useful and then describe how I intend to analyse them. This, however, is the wrong way to go about it!

The analysis should come first and then the data tools. So here's a brief example referring to my inquiry:

Inquiry question: What are the skills and preparation required by an actor in order to create a successful one-person show?

Analysis (briefly): To begin with, I define 'successful' as 'advancing the actor's career' and/or it is commercially successful*. The analysis will include looking at the opinions of audiences, directors, casting directors and producers on what they're looking for in a one-person show and what they're looking for in the actor/writer. Part of the analysis will include comparing those opinions to each other as well as to my own experiences/observations and to relevant literature (from books by successful actors/theatre practitioners on their experience and advice to articles that might be negative towards one-person shows and more). Ultimately, these comparisons will give me a wider understanding of what makes or at least could make a one-person show successful. 

Data: Data collection will include the aforementioned literature, going to one-person shows, asking audiences for their opinion on shows we've watched together. Interviewing casting directors, directors, and producers as well as people who have produced and acted in one person shows.

Like I said this is a very very brief overview of my analysis and data collection. With which I am hoping to illustrate how the analysis you intend to do should inform the data tools you use rather than the other way around. 

*It is very important to define what subjective terms such as 'successful' mean for you in the context of your inquiry.