Sustainability Studies Methods Field Journal
Mary Kate Rigney
Annotation 6
28 September 2012
1. Emerson, Robert. “Chapter 6: Processing Fieldnotes: Coding and Memoing.” Writing
Ethnographic Fieldnotes. University of Chicago Press, 1995.
2. Robert Emerson is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California Los Angeles.
Emerson is the author of the book Contemporary Field Research: Perspectives and
Formulations. He has published numerous research articles relating to sociology topics
such as social constructions of violence, social control institutions and other
observational field work articles.
3. Topics Include:
a. The process of analyzing all the fieldnotes after the ethnographer has completed
the research, which entails open and focused coding, and writing theoretical
memos.
b. Strategies for the ethnographer to employ when analyzing fieldnotes. A sense of
detachment is needed.
c. Qualitative coding as a way of formulating concise words and or phrases to be
able to draw broader comparisons to analytical themes.
d. Writing memos as a way to tie together themes and ideas that were extrapolated
from the fieldnotes through the ethnographer’s coding.
e. Selecting core themes from the fieldnotes and organizing them into categories.
f. The process of focused coding of the fieldnotes to decipher new relationships and
themes that are now apparent to the ethnographer.
4. The main point of Chapter 6 is to introduce a unique technique that ethnographers use
when analyzing fieldnotes and to highlight the main methods they sue to draw important
conclusions from their research.
5. Supported by:
a. Providing specific examples of coded fieldnotes and drafted memos from student
ethnographers to illustrate the author’s proposed technique.
b. Outlining a methodological approach to digesting fieldnotes first through rereading and coding, then through drafting memos, and finally selecting core
themes to elaborate on.
c. Emphasizing the importance of tackling the fieldnotes with an open perspective
and acknowledging that the researcher/ethnographer is inextricably tied to the
data, as are theories as well.
6. Quotes:
a. “The ultimate goal is to produce a coherent, focused analysis of some aspect of
the social life that has been observed and recorded, an analysis that is
comprehensible to readers who are not directly acquainted with the social world at
issue.”
b. “In creating codes, the fieldworker is engaged in an analytic process; she seeks to
move beyond the particular event or situation in the fieldnotes to capture some
more general theoretical dimension or issue.”
c. “In sum, initial coding and memoing require the ethnographer to step back from
the field setting to identify, develop, and modify broader analytic themes and
arguments. Early on, these efforts should remain flexible and open, as the
ethnographer reads, codes and analyzes fieldnotes to foster a wide range of new
ideas, linkages, and connections.”
7. Questions:
a. What aspect of analyzing fieldnotes—coding, writing memos and identifying
themes—should the ethnographer focus the most time on?
b. Are certain organizational techniques beneficial to particular types of fieldnotes,
i.e. would it be advantageous to organize fieldnotes dealing with water access in a
particular manner compared to fieldnotes dealing with the role of women in a
particular culture?
c. Would dividing up the fieldnotes and covering them in sections first be advised
against?
8. Further Research
a. More examples of common coding techniques employed by ethnographers.
b. Research whether there are generic themes that arise out of ethnographic
fieldwork.
c. Look into whether there are any exercises that can help the student ethnographer
prepare for a task such as coding, memoing and drawing out themes.