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Telling a compelling story from research data

Telling a compelling story from research data. Dr Tansy Jessop Writers’ Retreat 28 May 2014. Two paradigms…. Scientific - quantitative. Control & experiment Hypothesis testing Numbers Statistics Technical instruments Measurement Generalisable to a wider community. Qualitative.

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Telling a compelling story from research data

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  1. Telling a compelling story from research data Dr Tansy Jessop Writers’ Retreat 28 May 2014

  2. Two paradigms…

  3. Scientific - quantitative • Control & experiment • Hypothesis testing • Numbers • Statistics • Technical instruments • Measurement • Generalisable to a wider community

  4. Qualitative • Hypothesis generating • Interpretation • Researcher as instrument • Words, language, discourse • Detailed understanding • Specific environments • Interview, case study, observation

  5. Two interpretive communities (Denzin, 1994) • Intuitive • Emotional • Open-ended texts • Interpretation as art • Personal biases • Experimental texts • Hard nosed empiricists • Rational, cognitive • Closed texts, system • Interpretation as method • Neutrality • Traditional texts Tender-minded Tough-minded

  6. Read three examples of raw data: • Highlight the phrase that stands out for you in each transcript. Why does it strike you? • What can you tell about the context? • What themes are evident in each transcript? • What puzzles or frustrates you? • Make a list of a few codes for each segment of data. • How does this data compare with yours?

  7. I’ve seen nothing

  8. Why poetry? • Trauma, dashed hopes, disappointment, frustration, conflict, perseverance • Flesh-and-blood social realities • Voice, power, emotion • Positioned – research from ‘somewhere’ • Research aswriting • Interviews closer to poetry than sociological prose

  9. “Poetry is the shortest emotional distance between two points” (Robert Frost).

  10. Qualitative research: Art or science? • “Thick description” (Clifford Geertz, 1973) • Closer to speech of research participants • Disruptive • Active voice • Visible author • Page turner • Risky • Critical detachment • Looks neutral and objective • Scientific • Conformist • Passive voice • Invisible hand • Yawn • Publishable Creative Critical

  11. Case Study Research • Complex issues • Detailed contextual analysis • Multiple sources of evidence (NSS scores, module evaluations, focus groups, questionnaires) • Triangulation of data • Answers how and why questions

  12. Case Studies • Look at Case Study Formats A and B. • Spend 10 minutes filling in both forms from the experience of your SF project. • What differences do you notice? • TESTA case studies: why they work

  13. Endnotes • “A vital text is not boring – it grips the reader” (Richardson, 1994). • Bridge between art and social science (Diversi, 1993). • Social Science research is always a ‘view from somewhere’ (Diversi 1993). • Develop empathy through narrative and personal stories, through art and creativity within the critical.

  14. References Behar, R. (1996) The Vulnerable Observer: Anthropology that breaks your heart. Boston. Beacon Press. Denzin, N. (1994) ‘The Art and Politics of Interpretation’ in Handbook of Qual. Research. Calfornia. Sage. 500-515. Diversi, M. (1998) Glimpses of Street Life: Represented Experience through Short Stories. Qualitative Inquiry 4(2) 131-147 Jessop and Penny (1999) A story behind a story: developing strategies for making sense of teacher narratives. Int. Journal of Social Research Methodology. 2(3) 213-230. Richardson, L. (1994) ‘Writing: A Method of Inquiry’ in Handbook of Qual. Research. California. Sage. 516-529.

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