5 Envelopes

I begin with sticky notes. I write the idea or theme on a sticky note and stick it to my office wall. As I continue to read, some ideas or themes repeat.  On these notes I also attach a number; how often did the theme appear? From these sticky notes stuck to a wall, I can begin to organize the content of the learning bundle. I might organize the content by frequency of appearance, by point and counterpoint, or by progression or chronology. Using this approach, I can begin to construct an organized structure for what I’m learning. When I have a structure that works or when I’ve finished reading the learning bundle, I convert the sticky notes to a Word document. It looks like a very simple outline.

As I began to write my dissertation, my challenge was finding a way to organize the content that was adjustable and easy to use as a tool for writing. Happily, I found Dr. Sonja Foss’ book Destination Dissertation at this time and attended a workshop she conducted. Her method utilized actual envelopes. Data, evidence, or quotations were highlighted and cut out of the article and placed in envelopes. As you begin to write, you can organize the quotations. This method worked well for me, but as technology progressed and I used this system more, it was clear that there were additional steps that could be added and the messy parts of actually cutting apart articles was unnecessary. But, as her work was foundational to the writing approach I now teach, I find it personally important to be respectful of the origins of the process.

Ethical Review

At this point, it’s also a good idea to conduct an ethical review of all the content. Too often, we do not consider the larger ethical issues involved in writing. We must remember that all data is flawed but some data is useful. What does an ethical review consider? I advise students to investigate authors and journals. Consider paywalls and who the author is. How can authors inadvertently produce unethical content?

• Perpetuating bias
• Perpetuating harm
• Excavating articles
• Excavating data
• Research for research sake devoid of consideration or contribution
• What assumptions does the existing research make?
• Who conducted the research? Go creeping and find out who and where they are.
• Where is the research published and do those journals or websites hold bias?
• Are there perspectives that are dismissed?