Chapter 18 Reading and writing the qualitative research report

Reading and writing the qualitative research reportChapter 18A qualitative study is not complete until the research report is writtenResearcher analyzes data and writes the analysis in back-and-forth reflective stepsWriting the report is part of developing the interpretation of the dataCharacteristics of qualitative reportsAuthor is a guide Helping the reader move through unfamiliar interactionHelping the reader see familiar interaction in a new wayDoes description and analysis increase readers’ understanding of how people communicate?Representing qualitative researchParts of the qualitative reportIntroductionLiterature reviewDescription of data collection and analytical techniquesReport of the interpretation and analysesImplications of findingsFuture researchBeginning the research reportIntroductory premise to frame what followsProvide explanations Why researcher was in this particular settingWhy this setting is important or interestingBegin with dramatic quote or field noteOr, begin with more traditional literature reviewLiterature reviewReturn to your research proposal May want to revise based on what was learned from data analysisGenerally shorter, as reporting data takes spaceReview theory that supports or explains the research settingConceptual and empiricalWriting about the methodWhen/where the fieldwork was conductedExtent of researcher involvement in the interaction environmentDetailed information about the participants, context, and sceneSteps and methods for collecting and analyzing the dataExtent to which data were triangulatedRevealing identity of participantsKeep agreement about confidentiality and anonymity May need to develop fictitious namesMay go beyond simply changing name of people, place, and organizationDo not camouflage an identity so that it is misleadingPresenting the dataBecause qualitative research produces abundant textual dataJudiciously edit data to a manageable amountDecide what to tell and how to tell itWhat is the basic story?Who will do the telling?Authorial voice optionsInterweave participant voices with yours as the writerAlternate between 3rd person for analysis 1st person for participants’ voices Write a short section to see what makes sense for the method, context, and participants studiedFindings and interpretationBalance description and analysisFour writing strategiesThematic or topical focusChronological focusPuzzle explicationSeparated textFind a rhythm to create symmetry Quoting participantsUsing quotes strengthens analysisProvide frame of reference for quoteInterpret all quotes for readerShort quotes are better than long onesUse the best quotesDrawing and supporting conclusionsWhat decisions can be made given the descriptions and analyses presented?Closing paragraphsWhat has been attempted?What has been learned?What new questions have been raised?Consider statement of personal reflectionRevisiting your analysisAnalytical skills are related to writing skillsAccuracy and exactnessEconomicalConclusions should be consistentConclusions should ring trueFramework apparent to readerExplain as much of the data as possibleHeuristic and fertileFinishing the qualitative reportTitleEliminate “A Qualitative Study of . . .”AbstractOverall objective of researchBrief explanation of research methodBrief summary of resultsUsually 75 to 250 wordsUsing Apa styleCiting other scholars’ workDirect citationIndirect citationCreating the reference listComplete alphabetical list by authors’ last namesIncludes all literature cited in the reportAccuracy