In one of my previous articles, I remember whining about all the data collection exercises and how asking people to participate in your Ph.D. research feels like begging.
Well, I still am not accustomed to the fact (which as usual was learned the hard way) that my Ph.D. research is interesting and important only for me. The would-be participants are busy people and what are they going to have for dinner is more important to them than my entire Nobel winning, super important, sophisticated Ph.D. project. That’s sad but true.
But I am not the one to give up so easily. I soldier on. So, I went back to Saudi Arabia and started the begging process once again. After literally begging and bugging many of my potential participants through e-mails, I pushed my efforts to a new level. I started chasing them, waiting in front of their offices. I am sure many if not all, of my participants had only agreed so they could get rid of me.
As a research scholar, we are supposed to strictly abide by rules, which require us to clearly state to the participants that their participation is completely voluntarily and they are free to withdraw without the fear on any negative consequences whatsoever. But in actuality, while repeating this statement like a parrot in front of a potential million-dollar participant, I try to imply: Please, please participate and if you decide to withdraw you can, but you will break my heart and my research will be wrecked and…etc.
After finishing with data collection, I felt like I was over the moon. I started imagining myself in my graduation robe walking proudly to the podium and posing for pictures and my family looking at me with pride.
Unfortunately, the truth is it’s not even 50 percent of the entire journey yet. Before I proceed to data analysis I need to transcribe my interviews, Oh my God, no.
Transcription means putting headphones tightly around your ears and start typing all interviews, which means one needs to be idle and to act like a robot. Just listen, pause and write, then listen, pause and write until you are finished. This way, a one-hour interview may take six or seven non-stop hours of transcription; six or seven hours with no music, no interaction with humans, just listen and type.
That was a torture for me. For God’s sake, I do a comedy show and I write comical scripts and I love acting, how on earth am I going to sit idle and transcribe 21 interviews?
I ended up transcribing five minutes and then gave myself a break as a reward that lasted for an hour, and then discovered that in this manner I would need minimum one year to finish my transcription. So I just forced myself back to work and tried to focus. I ignored the headache and the fact that my eyes were burning by reminding myself that this torture would come to an end. Come on, come on, just 10 minutes to go, no don’t stop, you can do it! Honestly, I re-read all self-development books to aid me in this transcription process. I think I will need to buy more books for the data analysis phase. Wish me luck.
@HatoonKadi
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