This is the first check-in of 2025, and honestly, I am surprised that there hasn’t been another, because I have done a lot of work over the last two months. From planning and admin to interviews and data collection, I have been dipping into all areas of my PhD. So, let me share what I’ve learnt.

If you’re new to my blog or my posts, then let me do a quick introduction. I am researching bookish social media and its impact on the New Zealand literary sphere, gathering the experiences of various people within the literary community to see how social media is being used, how it’s impacting and influencing them, and the overall impact on New Zealanders. I am at the stage of my PhD where I am prioritising my data collection. I am working with two data sets here: interviews and content analysis. My interviews will be looked at through a thematic analysis approach using Braun and Clarke (2006, 2022), and my content analysis will be looked at through Kozinets’ Netnography (2020), a form of digital ethnography that observes digital communities. Using these two angles, I will be able to gain a deeper and fuller understanding of bookish social media and its impact on the New Zealand literary ecosystem.

I only conducted my first interview short of five weeks ago, and since I feel like I have been going all over Auckland, meeting incredible people and getting the opportunity to talk to them regarding their experiences on bookish social media. The more I interview people and talk about the topic at hand, the more I find myself both excited about the themes and discussion points brought up and eager to move into the next stage of my work, which is transcribing and processing the data. I also find myself increasingly more invested in publishing this research and sharing it with everyone. The field is so fascinating and interlinked for us here in New Zealand, and there are so many things to consider.

It has only been in the last two weeks that I got in contact with my participants for my content analysis, and I was so nervous about reaching out in the first place. I didn’t think that people would be so keen to jump in and agree, so I had been putting it off for a bit. Once I bit the bullet, though, I got all my spots filled within a few hours. Now, in between transcribing and interview dates, I can gather data and get it loaded into NVivo, and I feel a weight has been taken from my shoulders simply knowing I can get stuck into it when I am available. If there is one thing for any fellow researchers out there reading this, it is that the worst they can say is no. I know that is a daunting thing still, especially when your research hinges on people’s participation, but the more you put it off, the more pressure there is for you to get yes answers. The sooner you ask, the sooner you can ask the next person if there is someone who doesn’t want to participate.

I have so many more interviews lined up over the next two months, not to mention my content analysis data to collect and process. I want the bulk of my data collection to be complete in April, with maybe a few interviews to go. This will keep me on track for my June 2027 thesis submission, but also make it so I have chances to develop my interview questions if there are gaps in the discussions I would like filled. I believe the most important thing with your data collection window, besides keeping on top of the workload, is communicating with your supervisors. If there is such a gap in your interview transcripts, they will be able to help you find ways to address those gaps, they can give you feedback on the quality of the responses you receive, and they can keep you grounded and remind you of your timeframe. I feel that, if I didn’t have a solid deadline in place for data collection, I could spend months interviewing people for fun and getting to know people within the community on a deeper level. There are so many interesting and genuine people within the New Zealand bookish community, from bookstore managers and publishing reps to content creators and authors, and I could think of so many more research topics to keep the discussions flowing.

I feel good, and I say that knowing I have a busy two months ahead. I am a little behind, but the wheels are moving for me right now, so I don’t feel stressed about it. Things will happen when they do with the interviews, so the real test of my management skills will be in the way I utilise my time with transcribing and gathering online content. It’s a big job, but it is doable when it is spread across a solid number of weeks. I also feel like tackling something like a massive research project, such as a PhD, requires you to work on the now and not bring tomorrow’s troubles forward before their time. I have numerous timekeepers, so as long as I am chugging away, I will stay on course. I am already looking forward to what I will be able to tell you all next time.