p.28
411Coverage studies as a new path of expulsion However, despite the fact that the KJ method is becoming popular on the surface, it still does not seem to be used in earnest. Although there are some people who have mastered the KJ method on their own, examples of organizations making full use of it are rarer than the stars of the dawn of time. What is the reason for this? There are many causes of obstacles. But one of the most important causes seems to lie in the following point. In other words, if the quality of the original label data used for the KJ method is poor, the results will be irredeemable. In other words, the KJ method is only as good as the quality of the information network (A ← B) and the freshness and sharpness of the individual on-site observation and recording (B ← C). This determines the life and death of the KJ method. This part A ← B ← C may be referred to as the interviewing activity or fieldwork. The methods and training for fieldworkers are severely lacking in many workplaces.
p.13
First, on point A, we clarify our awareness of the problem. As you can see, this is done in the mind, or at the “thinking level. Next, we must use this problem consciousness as our compass (or compass board) and go out into the field (or field site, if you prefer) to conduct our research. We will then go out into the field (or should we say to the field) to gather data that will help us to make decisions related to our own awareness of the problem. As you can see, the process proceeds from A ← B to the “experience level. This process is called “exploration. In the exploration, the question is how to establish a material net (see Chapter 2).
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