Field research and word processor files: A technical note

Doing field research means storing and sorting great volumes of fieldnotes. A micro word processor (WP) can reduce all of this paper to a few disks. The process of setting up files, marking subfiles, listing files in a directory, and calling up files in old and new arrangements requires some knowledge of WP limits and techniques. This note outlines the process, the limits, and the questions one must ask about how to run a specific WP system in order to use it fully. The note ends with two cautions. The cost of computer supplies may deter unfunded workers, especially those with access to free typing materials or labor. More crucial, planning for files may tempt an over-hasty researcher to define theory categories prematurely.