Practical issues in using a card sort in a study of nonsupport and family caregiving

The authors successfully used the card sort data collection technique with 17 female family caregivers in a large ethnographic study of nonsupport. In this article, they describe the practical issues they addressed. Initially, they developed strategies to construct meaningful statements that reflected key themes and were manageable in an interview. Later, to address challenges for participants, they developed approaches to assist women in moving beyond their own experience, dealing with test anxiety, and anticipating an emotional response. To facilitate effective data collection, they made detailed arrangements in advance, collected "talk aloud" data that captured women's decisions, and maintained accurate records. The women felt validated in their caregiving roles, as the card statements reflected their experience and rich data was elicited. The card sort exercise contributed information about variability in the meaning of similar interactions for different women and a beginning understanding of the criteria women used to make decisions.