Data analysis in qualitative research : theorizing with abductive analysis Surprise Beginnings Theories Collecting Open Coding Focused Coding Clues about Clues Writing It Down Writing It Up Abduction in Action. Good research has something enigmatic baked into it: it teaches us something we didnt know maybe that we didnt even realize we needed to know. But how does a researcher setting out to do his or her work find those elusive illuminating insights How can you create a surprise Sociologists Stefan Timmermans and Iddo Tavory have been teaching young scholars how to do just that and with Surprise! they explore the foundations of how to conduct unexpected and revelatory ethnographic research. While this books predecessor Abductive Analysis teaches students how to uncover the theoretical insights in their ethnographic work this new book ensures that researchers will go into the field ready to make the most out of the relationships and situations they encounter. Timmermans and Tavory describe ways of engaging with theory that help the researcher to note where their findings meet and diverge from existing models. They discuss strategies for designing research that zooms in on specific questions and zooms out to observe the interconnectedness of social life. They walk the reader through coding data encouraging methods that defamiliarize data after its been collected. They highlight the single most promising path to take when scholars are still not sure what is worth pursuing in their research project. They also take readers through the writing and publishing process showing that writing is rife with analytical decisions of what to include how to narrate how to respond to the dreaded reviewer 2 and how to engage an academic audience. With Surprise! as a companion novice and experienced researchers alike will be able to produce those sparkling ideas that make us see the world in completely new ways.