A does not lead to B – it’s a network

“A does not lead to B – it’s a network” – Maria Mayan, Instructor COMM 597, The Principles of Qualitative Inquiry

It seems to me that the statement above is in keeping with the history of communication and information processing tools.

The invention of the alphabet and writing promoted very linear, segmented, forms of expression and the parallel development of formal logic, scientific method and of quantitative inquiry as a dominant research method. The printing press solidified the conceptual framework of lining up discrete units in a linear fashion to ‘understand’ the world.

What is characteristic of electricity and the digital age? Electricity is a field, with flow and radiance. Digital media’s most common metaphor is that of a network. “A does not lead to B – it’s a network” It seem to me that an interest in, and acceptance of, qualitative inquiry would be a natural offshoot of the new forms of communication. New ways of visualizing, organizing and accessing information are profoundly affecting the way we approach research.