the danger of transcribing very post-interview: memory loss or intentional incoherence
i was having too much of a 'stumble' to transcribe some of my fieldwork interviews immediately after; i used the word 'immediate' loosely.
upon transcribing a particularly ELITE interview, i find myself making the same note '(unknown context)' with increasing frequency.
after i finished transcribing, i reread the interview. it's (mostly) rubbish. i remember immediately after the interview feeling a bit like my ELITE hadn't answered my questions, like i needed to interview them again. nope - the ELITE's responses were mostly in analogy form (something about a WWI general knowing the blitz is coming) and a bit incoherent.
turns out this ELITE is just really good at their job.
which is apparently dodging entry-level researchers' questions.
touché, Elite. touché.
