F: reporting qualitative research and writing up Flashcards
Writing your research
Do not write everything that you saw, heard, or were told, but write what our thinking and comparing has led us to believe our field experience means for our understanding → show and tell what your data might mean
Convince readers that your interpretation is trustworthy → present clear evidence, it is not always a straightforward process, in quantitative present a table with clear results, in qualitative it is difficult to condense rich insights into text
Your document should relate to the community you are part of and should be addressed to someone in the scientific community
Write in a way that shows your work follows all 4 validity criteria
Theorized storyline
And articulation of a plot that related the filed and academic worlds via ‘literature-based’ ideas that cohere with our filed engagement
Express what you found in a way that relates to the findings of already existing knowledge
Mistakes often made in Qual research (Pratt, 2009)
Telling about data, not showing it
Showing too much data and not interpreting it
Using deductive shorthand
Quantifying qualitative data → don’t present your findings as if they are statistically significant
Inappropriately mixing inductive and deductive strategies
Better paths for reporting qualitative research (Pratt, 2009)
Make sure you methods section includes “the basics”
Show data: keep balance between telling the story vs showing the data
Think about using organizing figures or tables to summarize interviews
Think about telling a story → communicate findings in a way that is understandable, give context, explain the why
Consider ‘modeling’ someone’s article whose style you like
Golden-Biddle & Locke “Tell, show, tell”
Sandwich technique of writing
Tell: explain the core idea that will be depicted in the following data that you want your readers to understand
Show: a quote or data of your field note
Tell: more abstractly what the quote really showed and what they should take away from it
Tips for writing your paper
Start in the easy place, explain what you did
Use academic literature especially in your introduction and discussion
Define your key terms and concepts using appropriate references
Communicate your findings
Consider the world of practice
Referencing
Tips for writing your paper: start in the easy place, explain what you did
Justify each choice you made and reference academic literature where possible
Cite academic literature when you explain your research design and method choices
Use tables to give a simple to read overview of what you did
Tips for writing your paper: use academic literature in intro and discussion
Cite academic articles that help set up your topic in the introduction (4+)
Try to identify something that these articles miss or don’t of into enough detail on, the “gap”
Come back to the literature at the end of your paper to “close the circle” and show what your findings have contributed to academic knowledge
Tips for writing your paper: define your key terms and concepts using appropriate references
Whenever you use a term that has a specific meaning in the literature, define it and cite your source
Is there are several definitions either
describe this diversity and explain why there is not one
And/or decide on one definition and explain why you chose it
Tips for writing your paper: communicate your findings
Go beyond summarizing each interview
Organize your findings into themes, even better, consider how the different things relate to one another and the literature
A data structure or conceptual diagram can be included to communicate your findings visually
Tips for writing your paper: consider the world of practice
Describe the context of your study and explain what the people you studied do, what is important to them (priorities) and what they struggle with
In the discussion under “implications for practice”, consider how what you have learned might be of interest or use to the people you studied
Tips for writing your paper: referencing
Use the correct referencing, in text and bibliography
Chain of evidence
A method used to show clear proof and understanding for the point that you are trying to prove
Use your coding and provide and explanation of what you have interpreted and believe
Use the evidence to show how you came to this conclusion
Include appendix so that the reader can determine the degree to which your findings are valid
Look at what the literature says to have more evidence
Create a story to round it all up
