The Data Entry Process

There are two main steps to the system data entry process.   Using the example of New Hope fieldwork visits, upon clicking the button labeled ‘Browse/Enter Fieldwork Visits’ the user will be prompted for a password authorizing access to the system files and then presented with the fieldwork visit layout (see Figure 5).  From this layout the user can use the buttons at the top of the screen to either browse through existing visit records or initiate entry of a new visit.

To enter new records to the database, the user will click the ‘Enter a New Record’ button and be presented with a blank visit record with three main sections: information about the fieldworker and participant, notes about the visit and full visit transcript, and visit excerpts with their associated codes (see Figures 6 and 7).  The user, in this example then selects from drop-down menus their name and participant ID and manually enters the date of the field visit and the sequence number for the visit.  A field is provided for any notes or comments the fieldworker may wish to record about the visit aside from the fieldnote itself and the entire fieldnote is pasted into the ‘Fieldnotes’ field.  Typically, fieldworkers are encouraged to transcribe their notes in a word processor program and then copy and paste them into the EthnoNote system files.  The text can easily be transported into the system when data entry begins (e.g., via copy and paste or drag and drop procedures).  To assure complete processing, many of the data fields are defined to require entry and will prompt users to provide data should they attempt to leave the file without entering data to these fields.  Further, to assure accuracy and convenience with entering data such as participant IDs or other key information, drop-down lists are pre-programmed to prevent the possibility of any typographical errors.  Data can also be validated against a list of acceptable entries.

The task of coding selected chunks of text is carried out in the lower portion of the visit record layout each referred to as a visit ‘Excerpt’ (see Figure 7).  There are an infinite number of excerpts that can be coded for any visit record.  The task involves transferring a selected chunk of text into an empty excerpt field and selecting any appropriate code(s) for that chunk.  In the example here, up to three codes can be applied to any single excerpt.  Codes are selected from drop-down lists drawing from all the codes defined in the current codebook.  In this example, the codebook contains two levels of codes.  A user can select a general/main category code or a more specific/sub-theme code.  This organization of codes is specific to the New Hope project.  Adaptable for specific projects, other applications of the EthnoNote system utilize three-level hierarchical code structures with up to ten codes assigned per excerpt.   When a user selects from one of the more specific codes or sub-categories, the corresponding super-ordinate organizers are automatically applied to the excerpt.  Searching the excerpt database can be carried out at any level of the coding structure.