DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD: A ...

schedules of questions for semi-structured interviews and for conducting interviews.
The process of creating an interview schedule involves a theoretical and rational
review of the substantive topic, which leads to a list of questions that cover key areas.
These questions are developed and re-developed to emphasise clarity, direction and
comprehensiveness.
In conducting an IPA interview, empathy and flexibility are emphasised. The
schedule should start with easy-to-answer questions that allow rapport and relaxation
to be developed. As the interview progresses, the sequence of questions on the
schedule will change as the questions are adapted to the participant’s own comments
or story. Even how a question is phrased can be adapted to the person in question
(Smith and Eatough, 2006).
Transcript Notation
Notation of data transcripts is the first analysis process in the composite
method, in line with both the Interactive Model and IPA. Their protocols for doing
this are very similar – remarks are made in the margins of the transcript, and in so
doing the first analytical insights and categories emerge in direct contact with the
data. Miles and Huberman suggest that pre-analytic remarks should be in the margin
on the right, and codes should be noted on the left. Smith (1991) suggests that the left
hand margin can be used to note “anything of interest” while the right hand margin is
used to note themes.
Memos and Case Summaries
Memos are written notes that provide an ongoing repository of insights and
ideas during analysis. They can be written in any way, but should be dated, so that
analytical developments can be tracked in retrospect by auditors or readers via the list
of memos. They are used in the composite method for recording spontaneous
insights, visual summaries and developments in coding schemes. Memos are an
analytical aid to which Miles and Huberman give great priority. They insist that ideas
should be committed to memos immediately and without censorship:
“Always give priority to memoing. When an idea strikes, STOP whatever else you
are doing and write the memo. Your audience is yourself. Get it down; don’t worry
about prose elegance or even grammar. Include your musings of all sorts, even the
fuzzy and foggy ones. Give yourself the freedom to think. Don’t self-censor.” (Miles
and Huberman, 1994, p.74)
55