Writing about Qualitative Research

1. Writing about Qualitative Research Chapter 10 Writing about Research

2. Writing about Qualitative Research • Are we describing the leaves, the trees or the forest?

3. “Like the choreographer, the researcher must find the most effective way to tell the story and to convince the audience of the meaning of the study. Staying close to the data is the most powerful means of telling the story, just as in dance the story is told through the body itself.” • Janesick, 2000, p. 389 cited in Ulin, Robinson, & Tolley, 2005, p. 187

4. Writing is . . . • Fun! • Frustrating • Always challenging • Sometimes satisfying • Necessary

5. Writing as a Process • More than putting words on paper • Planning, organizing, rereading, refining, revising, pondering • Can’t measure progress by number of words or pages

6. The Writing Process • Go through many drafts • Re-writing & revision skills NB • Find time that’s best for you & consistently write at this time • “Just do it” approach • Get something on paper • Stream of consciousness writing style • Freewriting – write without stopping for 10 min • “Thinkers” approach • Methodical style • Makes notes of potential content • Multiple outlines made & revised for ordering content

7. Writing Process • Depends on audience • Funders, academics, specific journals • Readers may be skeptical so need to produce clear, supported argument • Readers don’t have background on study that you do • Conciseness NB, but not at expense of thoroughness for clarity

8. Which Fits? • “Ought to be writing” vs. Writing • Focus on “one bird at a time” • Approaching as parts less overwhelming than seeing only the whole

9. Writing ProcessWarren, & Karner, 2005, p. 221-222 • Writing well takes time • Allow adequate time to write • Find your writing process • Time of day, organizational strategies, location, music?, etc. • What works best for you? • Recognize your own writing idiosyncrasies • Beware computer “fritters” • Organize materials • Literature plan to cite, data (raw to end points), journals, notes, etc

10. Writing ProcessWarren, & Karner, 2005, p. 221-222, 231 • Plan the process • Backup procedure • Disk, flash drive, hard drive, safety deposit box, etc. • Reference section • Complete full references as you write • Type or use software program, e.g. RefWorks • Writing schedule • Methods, Lit Rev, Findings, Intro & Conclusions concurrently, add to Lit Rev to support findings fully, References, Abstract, final Title

11. Writing ProcessWarren, & Karner, 2005, p. 221-222 • Begin writing • Not inspired? • 10% inspiration & 90% perspiration • Is it perfect? • Striving for perfection can waste time or halt completion of first draft • Goal is to “put it on paper” • Will continue to refine after first draft completed

12. Writing Plan • Warren vs. Karner example on handout • Places • Setup • Time of day • Length of time • Organization of content

13. How to begin? • Draft or revise statement of purpose • Write several versions • Can you reduce statement to under 25 words? • List important delimitations of study • What the study is not about • Then may be easier to write purpose statement • What the study IS about • Wolcott, 2001, p. 11

14. Reporting Naturalistic Research • Problem or Situation statement • Basic literature review • Methodology • Focus on decisions made, clear descriptions • Findings • Present analysis – themes w/ quotations • Hear participants’ voices • Discussion • Often revolves around how themes tie into literature – interpretation • Wrap-up • What you set out to do; what you found; recommendations & suggestions (if appropriate)

15. Structuring Qualitative Research Report • Introduction should gain attention • See examples Esterberg, p. 209-210 • Style often more ‘relaxed’ • Statement of purpose included

16. Introduction - example • The purpose of this paper is to offer a contribution to the analysis of the cultural and sociological factors that influence patterns of food selection and food avoidance. The specific focus is contemporary vegetarianism, a complex of inter-related beliefs, attitudes and nutritional practices which has to date received comparatively little attention from social scientists. Vegetarians in Western cultures, in most instances, are not life-long practitioners but converts. They are individuals who have subjected more traditional foodways to critical scrutiny, and subsequently made a deliberate decision to change their eating habits, sometimes in a radical fashion. • Beardsworth & Keil (1992), p. 253 as cited in Bryman & Teevan. (2005). Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press, pp. 356-357.

17. Introduction - example • The purpose of this paper is to offer a contribution to the analysis of the cultural and sociological factors that influence patterns of food selection and food avoidance. • Shows research concerned with study of food • The specific focus is contemporary vegetarianism, a complex of inter-related beliefs, attitudes and nutritional practices which has to date received comparatively little attention from social scientists. • Gives research focus – study of vegetarianism • Claims this is under-researched

18. Introduction - example • Vegetarians in Western cultures, in most instances, are not life-long practitioners but converts. • Jolts attention with shorter sentence • Asserts those studied are “vegetarians as converts” • They are individuals who have subjected more traditional foodways to critical scrutiny, and subsequently made a deliberate decision to change their eating habits, sometimes in a radical fashion. • Expands idea that vegetarianism is a “choice” for most Westerners VS. “tradition” born into

19. Structuring Qualitative Research Report • Literature review • Situates study in larger research situation • Forms basis of argument for study need, theoretical approach, & context as well as later discussion of findings • Leads reader to problem or context statement, purpose, R Qs • Can provide the need for the study and its significance

20. Structuring Qualitative Research Report • Sources of data & methods • Describe setting • where, how, when, & with whom data gathered • Include recruitment strategies & difficulties encountered, gaining entrée info • Interview guides • Ethics statement (summary of ethics proposal to REB) • Analysis methods • Details specific approach & strategies used • Shows techniques used to establish trustworthiness • Includes results of research audit

21. Description • Description, it turns out, isn’t such easy, straightforward business after all! Without realizing it, even as we describe, we engage in analysis and interpretation. So, the suggestion that you “stay descriptive” as long as possible presents you with a challenge, not so much to try to achieve pure description as to resist the urge to begin analyzing before you have presented sufficient data to support that analysis. • Wolcott, 2001, p. 32

22. Structuring Qualitative Research Report • Findings • “conceptual ‘heart’ of the paper” • (Warren & Karner, p. 242) • Often combines “results” & “discussion” • Includes support for analysis with specifics from interviews, observations or documents analyzed • Begin with visual presentation to show interrelated themes & categories • Only show sections that are to be presented in this piece of writing

23. Structuring Qualitative Research Report • Organizing Findings • Need to use subheadings for guideposts for reader • Decide how to present the “puzzle pieces” so the explanation of findings is clear • Whose voice is to be central to the paper? • Their story or your experience hearing the stories? • Clearly identify & discuss concepts & theories generated from findings

24. Structuring Qualitative Research Report • Linking research to that of others • Standard literature review • Theory • Methods • Don’t begin linking too soon • Except to contextualize research work • Theoretical implications • If data & analysis support this type of supposition • Wolcott, 2001, p. 71

25. Structuring Qualitative Research Report • Summary & Conclusion • Reiterate main findings – not all • Significance of findings to research questions • Implications for participants, practice, policy • Recommendations • Directions for future research • Personal reflections • Candid, self-reflexive comments on field work

26. Variation on Report Formats • Problem-solving approach • Narrative approach • Tell story in chronological narrative to illustrate problem or process • Step-by-stop or from multiple perspectives • Conclude – why and how process occurs

27. Variations on Report formats • Policy approach • State why process or behaviour occurs or fails to occur • Walk through evidence to show how reached this conclusion • Useful for ‘busy’ readers • Analytical style • Organize findings according to the theoretical or conceptual framework used to develop the study • How do your findings fit within this larger framework? • How do they support or differ from the framework presented?