‘Whatever You Say, Say Nothing’: The Issue of ‘Macro-Context’ in the Construction of a Catalogue and Archive of Qualitative Material on the Northern Ireland Conflict

Abstract

This article looks at the issue of context in relation to the construction of a catalogue and archive of qualitative material relating to the Northern Ireland conflict. Specifically if looks at “macro-context”, that is the broad socio-political environment in which qualitative data is gathered. In the case of Northern Ireland, macro-context mainly concerns the conflict and the deeply divided society which it has left behind. The article explores the problems we had in “capturing” this context in order to provide for informed secondary analysis of the datasets logged in our catalogue. It looks at solutions arrived at, and also the limits to which we could capture the context of the materials we catalogued, before suggesting how our experience might provide some guidance to others seeking to facilitate secondary use of qualitative data.