Qualitative_data_analysis

256 QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
computer encourages a freer and more spontaneous flow of ideas. Becker also points
out that the computer privatizes the production of a draft, making it a less public
exercise, and therefore less subject to the kind of anxiety familiar in ‘writer’s block’
and similar psychological afflictions which can impede the writing process.
On the computer, the first draft we produce ‘on-screen’ loses its permanent and
immutable character, and we can therefore feel free to experiment with ideas and
language, knowing that later we can tidy up the good stuff and cut out the rubbish.
Later may only be moments later, for the computer allows us to write and edit in one
process. The text no longer has the fixed character it acquires when ‘stored’
physically rather than electronically, so redrafting need no longer await the
completion of an initial draft. Insertions and deletions can be made in the on-screen
text which automatically adjusts to accommodate any alterations.
For example, I carried out many editing operations in writing the previous
paragraph. Sometimes I struggled to find ways of completing a sentence, and tried
out several alternatives before deleting those I liked least. Several times I reduced the
length of a sentence because once completed I could see how to express the idea
more succinctly. I also reordered the sequence of sentences in the paragraph to
improve the continuity of the text and the logical flow from one idea to the next. I
have incorporated these editing operations into my writing so that they have now
become second nature. This is not how I used to write at all. Far from impeding the
creative flow, this frees me from the inhibitions which arise when technological
constraints condemn us to live with what we have just written without the
possibility of instant revision.
What applies within a sentence or paragraph applies to the text as a whole. Text
can be edited and reordered with ease across the whole document. We can carry on
writing as ideas occur, confident that we can reassess later their appropriate position
in the text. As well as encouraging creativity, some computer software also supports
a more logical and organized approach to producing our account. For example, the
package I am using offers an ‘outlining’ facility which allows me to organize the
whole document in terms of a series of headings and subheadings. This shows at a
glance the underlying logical structure of the document, and allows me to amend it
with ease. I can shift the position of sentences, paragraphs, sections and even whole
chapters with no more than a couple of quick commands—simply selecting the
relevant heading, and moving it to the desired position. This facility supports a
blend of styles which reflect the full complexity of our thinking process. Instead of
writing an account in sequence from start to finish, we can create an overall
structure and then ‘fill in’ the detail in any order we prefer. Instead of committing
ourselves to an overall structure at the outset, which then imposes constraints upon
the writing process, we can continually adapt the structure of our account in
response to ideas which emerge through writing. The computer supports a genuine