IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socres/v19y2014i3p147-160.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Sociologist's Field Notes to the Mass Observation Archive: A Consideration of the Challenges of ‘re-Using’ Mass Observation Data in a Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Study

Author

Listed:
  • Rose Lindsey
  • Sarah Bulloch

Abstract

This paper explores the challenges arising from the ‘re-use’ of Mass Observation Project (MOP) writing (1981 to present day) encountered by the authors when setting up an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded, longitudinal, mixed-methods research project on civic engagement. The paper begins with a brief review of the present UK social science research environment, highlighting the evidence for an increasing Research Council focus on interdisciplinary research and secondary analysis/re-use of data. It argues that this shift in focus gives rise to unique methodological challenges such as those encountered by the authors in this project. After providing some background and context, the paper discusses different obstacles encountered in the course of setting up this project. These include difficulties in: communicating within and across disciplines; re-using data across disciplines; the use of metadata, and its role in choosing writers from a longitudinal secondary data source; choice of analytical tools and approaches; and the Mass Observation writer's role in the research process. By sharing these experiences, the paper seeks to enable potential users of the MOP to see the value of MOP as a source of longitudinal qualitative secondary data; appreciate its potential for use with other data sources and across different disciplines; and equip other researchers to meet some of the challenges that the longitudinal use of MOP writing throws up.

Suggested Citation

  • Rose Lindsey & Sarah Bulloch, 2014. "A Sociologist's Field Notes to the Mass Observation Archive: A Consideration of the Challenges of ‘re-Using’ Mass Observation Data in a Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Study," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 19(3), pages 147-160, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socres:v:19:y:2014:i:3:p:147-160
    DOI: 10.5153/sro.3362
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.3362
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.5153/sro.3362?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mike Savage, 2007. "Changing Social Class Identities in Post-War Britain: Perspectives from Mass-Observation," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 12(3), pages 14-26, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dana Wilson-Kovacs, 2014. "‘Clearly Necessary’, ‘Wonderful’ and ‘Engrossing’? Mass Observation Correspondents Discuss Forensic Technologies," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 19(3), pages 161-176, September.
    2. Rachel Hurdley, 2014. "Synthetic sociology and the ‘long workshop’: How Mass Observation ruined meta-methodology," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 19(3), pages 177-202, September.
    3. Emma Casey, 2014. "‘Mass Gambling’ from 1947 to 2011: Controversies and Pathologies," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 19(3), pages 203-213, September.
    4. Sarah Nettleton & Emma Uprichard, 2011. "‘A Slice of Life’: Food Narratives and Menus from Mass-Observers in 1982 and 1945," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 16(2), pages 99-107, June.
    5. Abigail Knight & Julia Brannen & Rebecca O'connell, 2015. "Using Narrative Sources from the Mass Observation Archive to Study Everyday Food and Families in Hard Times: Food Practices in England during 1950," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 20(1), pages 29-72, February.
    6. Friedman, Sam, 2022. "(Not) bringing your whole self to work: the gendered experience of upward mobility in the UK Civil Service," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 113417, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Sam Friedman, 2022. "(Not) bringing your whole self to work: The gendered experience of upward mobility in the UK Civil Service," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 502-519, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socres:v:19:y:2014:i:3:p:147-160. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.