Abstract: To ensure that qualitative research evolves from experience to theory, information collection in field study plays the key role. Research on this evolution abounds, but that on its execution path in terms of the operation dimension is scarce. To connect experience to theoretic summarization, the ability to “patch up” information together has an important role to play. The paper argues that information “patching” in qualitative research should, in terms of methodology, return to research by actor as meant by Max Weber, contending that qualitative researchers should first build information “patching” ability in three aspects-process “patching” for the research event, theory “patching” for the research topic, and summarization “patching” for the research information-before realizing the information “patching” process in four concrete stages. The papers proceeds to analyze how a concrete qualitative research, beginning from collecting experience facts and through interaction in the process of information “patching” between experience and theory, finalizes the effect of “patching” together information of conceptualization, theorization and intellectualization.

Key words: qualitative research, information collection, theoretic summarization, information “patching”