Stage One: Developing Initial Categories

Following the major stages of the open coding I started to read my 84 pages of open question responses word-by-word, line-by-line and tried to break down the data into separate units. While I was closely examining the text and coming up with the units, I started to compare them for similarities and differences to be able to conceptualize and label the data. By grouping the concepts into categories I hoped to reduce the amount of material that I was working with. At the first stage of the open coding, I was able to group the verbatim responses (some of them lengthy responses I had to summarize and not include as verbatim) into categories within each open-ended question. Before starting with the categories, I looked at the actual verbatim text and while discovering certain similarities between different responses, I came up with a category. In most of the cases I grouped the verbatim responses in their entirety unless they were extremely long, then I tried to summarize them. The verbatim in their entirety are provided in Italics as opposed to the summarized responses in a normal font. I also excluded the responses which did not carry

any meaning such as: “None”, “Sorry-it’s hard to remember. This was at least four years ago,”etc. If a single response made two different points, I included it into two different categories.

As an example, Table 5 below provides the partial excerpts of several categories picked at random from the entire list of categories identified as a result of the open coding of Question #8: How would you describe the impact the course had on you and your

subsequent career? A full and detailed record of categories with the responses included is

provided in the Appendix N.

TABLE 5

The next table (Table 6) provides a complete list of the categories that I came up with as a result of the first stage of the open coding of the responses of all open-ended questions.

TABLE 6

Categories Created at the First Stage of Coding

What were the least valuable aspects of the LIS 315/451 course? (Q5)

Communication Visits/Trips Community Work Logistics

Bonding

Course related stuff Equipment

Teamwork. Group Work

What were the most valuable aspects of the LIS 315/451 course? (Q6)

Technical Skills

Hands-on/lab experience Confidence with technology Computer Literacy

Instructor

Service component/Fieldwork Teamwork. Group work Value of the course Different skills Course materials Lectures

Course management software Atmosphere

ESLARP Films

Project management skills Problem-solving

Understanding the Digital Divide Information needs

Aspects of the course Communication with the site Great on your resume

As you look back now and think about the course what do you remember most? (Q7)

Teamwork. Group Work People

TABLE 6, cont.

Lab time

Technical skills aspects Confidence with technology Frustration/challenge Class environment Instructor Class exercises Lectures Final project

Practical Experience/Service-learning part Local people/planning and communicating Different negative experiences

Community Service Project Best Practices

Information access provision Poverty

Digital divide

Project management skills

The most memorable experiences/Important conclusions

How would you describe the impact the course had on you and your subsequent career? (Q8)

Basic understanding of technology Speak about computers

Comfortable/at ease with computers

Confidence/comfortable with technology/Troubleshooting skills Technical vocabulary

Personal benefit/use Making extra money

Verification that took the course Total career change

Tremendous effect in a subsequent career Change of the career focus

Huge impact Invaluable

Provision of the competitive advantage Made better at the job

Foregrounded the importance of technology Changed vision of LIS profession

Explore a different aspect of the Info profession Non-technological career

TABLE 6, cont.

Got a job/job offer Change career Most useful course

Not much gained. Not much/Very little impact Not much use at present position

Awareness on how extension program works Impacted policy adoption at a job/used on a job

Performing technology instruction/Teaching as a part of the job Ethical issues in the profession

See your own strengths Teamwork

Leadership

Problem Solving skills Patience

Troubleshooting in different context Addressing different situations No impact

Skills lost in a present career Not LIS career

Interest in system administration Listing in a resume/getting a job Social impact

Giving back

Interest in community service Not direct impact but still Impact on someone as a person Information organization and access Instructor

Hands-on course

Positive-learning experience Different learning experience A model all universities should adopt Communication skills

Do you have any additional comments on the LIS 315/451 course and/or subsequent career? (Q20)

Instructor

Valuable/invaluable/useful class Great course

One of the best Fabulous

TABLE 6, cont.

I gave myself freedom to express the categories initially in the way that seemed natural to me. As Table 6 demonstrates they are not only represented by different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives and combinations of them describing different processes and activities) but also they are different in length (one word, two words, statement, even a sentence.) (e.g., Bonding, Communication, Technical skills, Made better at the job, Invaluable, See your own strengths; I was on the top of the world, etc.). Through my approach I was able to capture and save the statements that really stood out and carried the main ideas which were relevant both to the questions as well as the focus of my study, and also collect the ones which contained the important points but could otherwise be “lost”.

The top 3 courses I took in my entire life More skills

Special class Highlight Will take it again Impact

Thank you Relevance

Love the course, hate the LIS field Crappy class

Instrumental in my work Provided core technical skills Community-service aspect I was on the top of the world

Should be required/mandatory/core course Feel lucky to have taken the class

Awesome class Syllabus

Contact with local organization Very practical course

Very educational

More cultural awareness and sensitivity Sources for technology questions Warm Memories

Shortcomings Follow your muse Worthwhile course

To summarize, at the first stage of open coding I organized the data contained in the responses to all the open-ended questions of the survey contained in the 84 pages of text according to the key categories that emerged within responses to each question.