Hello all,
Still writing up here and have to submit final draft to supervisors first week of April. Managed to finish first drafts of analysis chapters before Xmas. Still to re-write/edit everything and fully write discussion/conclusion and introduction.
But have had major set back and my nvivo file (the only one I had) is irretrievably corrupted and cannot be salvaged. I can barely type this without crying. 3 months of work and absolutely necessary for write up as doing qual analysis. Have been in a major panic about this as it stopped working before Xmas. Just found out today it was looking hopeless so I've been in a bit of a funk about this.

I know I should dust myself off and plough on but do you ever have times when it just feels so flipping hard and all that's still to do feels so overwhelming. That's how today is going for me. I actually feel in shock.

The point is, can I get my whole thesis re-written, edited and making sense (it doesn't feel as though my argument is firmed up at all at the mo) by first week of April, given my analysis file calamity. To rectify this in itself will take at least 3 weeks of work. Any advice please? Words of wisdom?
Thanks BB

Hi Blackbyrd,

I also used NVivo and faced similar issues. At one point I transferred a file from one computer to another and for some reason half the sources vanished in both files. Including all the coding I had done from these sources. Even our department's IT guy was baffled. I think the software is a bit unreliable at times (although also very helpful!). As you have done the analysis you will still have understood your data more and have your findings clearer in your head so try and focus on that. Even if you have to redo it, your work rate will be quicker because you will have all this already thought through.

Also you can talk about this in your methodology perhaps? Discuss the shortcomings of computer assisted analysis? I have been warned this may come up in my viva so you will have a very good reflective account to give of the fallbacks?

I am due to submit at the end of Feb and sending a final draft to my sups next week. Hopefully nothing major to change after that otherwise I am in trouble. I am also currently trying to make my argument more clear as I feel it doesn't really make any sense to anyone but me!

Good luck!

Jen

Not used Nvivo so can't help with that.

Whether the writing can be done depends on where you're up to. As I got into the writing things got quicker and quicker. My first chapter look a couple of months, whereas my introduction was written in a week and my general discussion in about 3 days!

Good luck with the writing. I was in that phase last summer and it is amazing how quickly you can get through things as the deadline approaches.

Hello,

Thank you for your replies. Thanks Jenni. Your reply gave me a wee boost. Good point about computer assisted analysis programmes although you and I both know that Nvivo doesn't really do the analysis, our brains do. I agree, after coffee and choc, that this might not be a total disaster. A pretty big disaster but at least I have done writing although agree that argument is still fuzzy. Perhaps this is common in qual?

Anyway, thank you for your reply and good luck with your final draft to supervisors. I'm looking forward to that day myself when it's off my desk and on to theirs :)