A research memo is a written record that captures a researcher’s analytic process, thoughts, insights, and decisions during qualitative data analysis.
It aids in developing and refining codes, themes, and the overall “story” of the data in relation to the research question.
Research memos facilitate the development of concepts, themes, and theories while providing a record of the evolving research process and the researcher’s reflections on the data.
It’s important to note that memo-writing practices may vary across different qualitative traditions. Some approaches might emphasize certain types of memos or utilize them in distinct ways.
Consulting methodological literature specific to each method would provide a more comprehensive understanding of how memos are employed.
- Grounded Theory: Memos support key methodological elements, including inductive theory development from data, constant comparison to refine codes and concepts, and theoretical sampling for strategic data collection as the analysis progresses.
- Reflexive Thematic Analysis: Memos could document emotional responses to the data and their potential influence on interpretation, emerging patterns and connections between codes and themes, and methodological decisions made during coding and theme development.
- Discourse Analysis: Memos could capture insights into the discursive strategies and power dynamics at play within the data.
- Narrative Analysis: Memos could document reflections on the structure, content, and function of participants’ stories
What is the purpose of memoing in qualitative research?
Memos allow for a more systematic and rigorous approach to constant comparison, promoting the development of well-defined concepts and categories.
Memos offer a designated area where researchers can jot down their observations, insights, and questions as they compare data, codes, and categories.
This prevents valuable analytical thoughts from being lost and allows for a more structured approach to the constant comparative method
For instance, a memo might describe how two interview excerpts, while both describing anxiety, differ in the specific coping mechanisms employed.
Memo-writing is not just a process of recording observations; it is also a tool for promoting reflexivity.
Reflexivity in research involves critically examining the researcher’s own role, biases, and assumptions, and how these might influence the research process and findings.
Memos offer a space for researchers to step back from the data and ask themselves probing questions about their own perspectives and potential biases.
Researchers can ask:
- How might my background or beliefs be shaping my interpretation of this data?
- Am I overlooking alternative explanations?
- Am I imposing my own values or expectations on the participants?
By documenting their thought process, researchers can identify potential influences on their analysis and strive for greater objectivity and transparency
What should be included in a research memo?
Remember that research memos are a dynamic and evolving tool.
You can revisit and revise them as your understanding of the data deepens. By embracing this iterative process, you’ll enhance the quality, reflexivity, and trustworthiness of your qualitative research.
Analytical memos don’t adhere to a rigid format. They can be informal, formal, or conversational, allowing researchers to exercise autonomy in their development.
They can range in length from a few words to several pages, adapting to the complexity of the ideas being documented.
The emphasis is on capturing analytical insights rather than adhering to strict grammatical rules or stylistic conventions. Example items include:
Heading & Date
Include the date, researcher’s name, and a brief descriptive title for the memo.
Purpose
State the reason for writing the memo, such as comparing codes, reflexivity, and methodological decisions.
Data references
Identify the specific data sources (e.g., interview transcripts, field notes, documents) being compared or analyzed in the memo.
Reflections and interpretations:
Reflexivity involves critically examining your own assumptions, biases, and how your positionality shapes your understanding of the data.
A research memo can serve as a space to document these reflections:
- Personal Reactions and Feelings: Note your emotional responses to the data. Do certain excerpts make you feel angry, sad, surprised, or confused? Reflect on why you might be reacting in this way and how these feelings might influence your analysis.
- Assumptions and Expectations: Identify any preconceived notions you bring to the research. How might these assumptions shape your interpretation of the data?
- Positionality and Influence: Consider how your social identity, background, and experiences might influence your understanding of the data. For example, an “insider researcher” who shares a similar background with the participants might bring different perspectives compared to an “outsider researcher”
Analytical Insights and Emerging Theme
As you familiarize yourself with the data, use the research memo to jot down your initial thoughts, questions, and emerging insights.
These notes can be messy and unstructured, serving as “memory aids and triggers” for later stages of analysis.
- Questions and uncertainties: Note any questions or uncertainties that arise during the analysis, as these can guide further data collection or analysis.
- Potential Themes and Patterns: Note any recurring patterns, ideas, or concepts that stand out. These might evolve into formal themes as the analysis progresses.
- Connections and Relationships: Start exploring how different parts of the data connect. Are there any contradictions, tensions, or supporting evidence between different excerpts or participants’ perspectives?
- Visualizing Relationships: Diagrams provide a clear and concise way to represent these relationships visually. For example, a mind map could show how various codes cluster together to form a theme, while a hierarchical diagram could illustrate the relationships between overarching themes and sub-themes.
- Theoretical Connections: As you gain familiarity with the data, begin to consider how your findings relate to existing theories and concepts within your field. Note any relevant literature that supports or challenges your emerging interpretations.
- Significance: Consider the potential implications or significance of the observations and insights for the research project or the broader field of study.
Methodological Decisions and Justifications
A research memo can also document your methodological choices and the reasoning behind them.
Reflect on the research process, including any challenges, decisions, or adjustments made during data collection or analysis.
This promotes transparency and allows for a critical evaluation of the research process.
- Rationale for Data Collection Methods: Explain why you chose specific data collection methods. What are the strengths and limitations of these methods in relation to your research question?
- Sampling and Recruitment Strategies: Justify your decisions regarding participant selection and recruitment. What criteria did you use to include or exclude participants? What challenges did you face in accessing participants or data?
- Analytical Choices and Adaptations: Document any adjustments or deviations you made from established analytical procedures. Explain why these adaptations were necessary and how they might have shaped the findings.
- Challenges and Dilemmas: Note any ethical considerations, challenges, or dilemmas you encountered during the research process. Reflect on how these issues might have influenced the research and how you addressed them.
Address Contradictions and Inconsistencies
Qualitative data often contains conflicting perspectives or experiences. Use memos to:
- Identify discrepancies in the data: Note instances where participants present opposing views or where the data doesn’t fit neatly into your emerging themes.
- Explore potential explanations for contradictions: Reflect on the reasons behind these inconsistencies. Are they due to individual differences, contextual factors, or limitations in your data collection?
- Consider how to incorporate diverse perspectives in your analysis: Avoid forcing the data into a single, unified narrative. Instead, acknowledge and explore the complexity and richness of the data.
Action items
Identify any next steps or actions needed, such as further data collection, refinement of codes or categories, or areas for additional analysis.
Cross-references
If applicable, include cross-references to other relevant memos, data sources, or literature to help establish connections and maintain a cohesive analysis.
Examples of Analytic Memos
Remember, these examples are based on general principles of reflexive thematic analysis. Your specific memos will be shaped by your research question, the nature of your data, and your evolving interpretations.
Example 1: Reflexivity and Emotional Response
Memo Title: Reflecting on Participant Andreas’s Narrative
Date: 2024-01-10
Data Source: Interview Transcript – Andreas
Key Codes: Managing Heterosexism, Coming Out Imperative, Fear/Anxiety about Reactions
Memo:
Reading Andreas’s account of navigating his sexuality at university evoked a mix of emotions in me. I felt sadness for the anxiety and fear he experienced due to potential negative reactions.
His description of minimizing his sexuality and “not making a big deal” out of it to avoid confrontation resonated with my own experiences of trying to fit in.
However, I also felt a sense of admiration for his resilience and his determination to live authentically despite the challenges.
As an “outsider researcher” to the LGBTQ+ community, I recognize that my understanding of heterosexism and homophobia is likely shaped by my own privileged position. I need to be mindful of how my assumptions might limit my interpretation of Andreas’s experiences.
I’ll need to read more about the “coming out imperative” and the pressures faced by LGBTQ+ individuals to publicly disclose their sexuality.
I also need to critically examine whether my own discomfort with discussing sexuality might lead me to downplay the significance of this theme in my analysis.
Action Item:
- Explore literature on the “coming out imperative” and the psychological impacts of heterosexism on LGBTQ+ individuals.
Example 2: Emerging Themes and Conceptual Connections
Memo Title: Exploring the Theme of “Managing Heterosexism”
Date: 2024-01-12
Data Sources: Interview Transcripts – Andreas, Asha, [other participants]
Key Codes: Minimizing Sexuality, Avoiding Disclosure, Fear of Homophobia, Seeking Safe Spaces
Memo:
The theme of “managing heterosexism” is emerging as a significant pattern across multiple participants’ narratives. Many describe a constant awareness of potential homophobia and the need to actively strategize their behavior and self-presentation to avoid negative reactions.
Andreas’s account of “not making a big deal” out of his sexuality and downplaying his relationships to avoid drawing attention is a powerful example of this management.
Asha also spoke about the emotional labor involved in constantly assessing situations and deciding whether it’s safe to be open about his identity. This suggests that managing heterosexism is not a passive experience but an active and often emotionally taxing process.
I’m wondering if this theme connects to the broader concept of “compulsory heterosexuality” and the ways in which societal norms pressure individuals to conform to heterosexual expectations.
The participants’ accounts of fear, anxiety, and self-censorship seem to reflect the pervasive influence of these norms.
Action Items:
- Review literature on compulsory heterosexuality and its psychological impacts.
- Explore whether the theme of “managing heterosexism” might be reframed as “negotiating compulsory heterosexuality” to capture the active and strategic nature of participants’ experiences.
Example 3: Methodological Decisions and Analytical Challenges
Memo Title: Reflections on Coding and Theme Development
Date: 2024-01-15
Data Sources: All Interview Transcripts
Key Codes: Various
Memo:
I’m finding the distinction between semantic and latent codes helpful, but also challenging to apply consistently. I notice that my initial codes tended to be more descriptive, capturing participants’ explicit statements about their experiences.
However, as I’m reading more about concepts like “compulsory heterosexuality” and the “coming out imperative,” I’m starting to develop more latent codes that apply these theoretical lenses to the data.
I’m also struggling with the idea of themes “emerging” from the data. The sources emphasize that thematic analysis is an active and interpretive process, but I still feel a bit uncertain about how to move from codes to themes.
I’m worried about imposing my own interpretations on the data, rather than letting the themes naturally emerge.
One strategy I’m finding helpful is to create visual thematic maps that represent the relationships between codes and potential themes. This helps me see the connections and patterns more clearly.
Action Items:
- Review the criteria for “good” themes in reflexive thematic analysis: are they well-defined, coherent, distinctive, and supported by compelling data extracts?
- Experiment with different ways of visually representing the thematic structure of the analysis to help identify a clear and meaningful “story” within the data.
Sources
Birks M, Chapman Y, Francis K. 2008. Memoing in qualitative research. J Res Nurs. 13(1):68–75
Lempert, L. B. (2007). Asking questions of the data: Memo writing in the grounded theory tradition. The Sage handbook of grounded theory, 245-264.
Mohajan, D., & Mohajan, H. (2022). Memo writing procedures in grounded theory research methodology.
