Qualitative Report Writing

1
Qualitative Report Writing

• Dr Sal Watt

2
Qualitative Research

• Creative in methods chosen
• Improvise/modify/make assumptions
• Criticism of qualitative researchers / practices
• Method-reporting-deficit
• too little justification for methodological
  choices
• Irony ?? expertise in interpretation/ thick
  description
• Chenail (1995) ? leaves the reader in the dark
  about the process
• Constas (1993) spirit of openness
• Chenail (1995) suggests that two studies are
  present in a qualitative research project
• 1) official study
• 2) study of the study ? choices made in a studys
  design

3
A Trusting Relationship

• Think back to the previous two weeks
• Reflexive practice is paramount
• Two key suggestions
• 1) that what is reported is the really real
  (Behar, 2003)
• 2) that a relationship of trust is established
  between the researcher, the researched and the
  reader.
• Trust is a key issue here and affirmed by
  openness
• Reliability of qualitative research depends on
  open and honest disclosure of the design choices
  made

4
Letting the Reader in ....

• Being open and honest with our methodological
  choices gives the reader choices
• Whether to accept the data and its findings
• To engage with the data in a meaningful way
• Engage in further conversation or the opportunity
  to extend the research

5
Shinning bright

• Chenail (1995) advocates that the data collected
  should shine bright as the star
• The richness / depth / thickness of the data
  should stand centre stage
• Remember collecting qualitative data can be an
  arduous labour of love
• Data Separation Data Isolation
• Choosing which data to platform necessarily means
  separating / isolating data

6
Contextualising

• Give voice through the words of participants ?
  Quotes
• Crucial that those quotes are representative and
  fully contextualised ? this includes time and
  place
• It would be too easy to select quotes that suit
  our own ends e.g. making the data fit
  preconceived ideas or themes!! ?
• Highly unethical destroy the ethos of
  qualitative research
• Remember we must be objective and reflexive about
  our own biases
• Caught up in the design decision process
• Thematic analysis process by which themes
  emerge
• Of crucial importance are the silences

7
So what does a qualitative report look like?

• Abstract
• Introduction start wide with literature and
  funnel down to the aims of your study
• Hypotheses V Research Question tends to take
  the form of a research question
• Unlike quantitative research the nature of a
  qualitative and interpretative approach means it
  cannot be predictive
• In your aims then you determine whether your
  approach is guided by a theoretical framework or
  is descriptive and/or exploratory
• Aims you should set out your standpoint around
  the approach you have taken e.g. interpretivist,
  IPA, ethnographic etc.
• This allows the reader to know exactly where you
  are coming from, how you will approach the
  research and why you have chosen this approach

8
Methodology

• Methodology (philosophy) / Design
• Opportunity to engage further with your rationale
  and approach further justification
• Reliability and Validity time to be reflexive
  expand on the choices you have made expose your
  position and address any biases you may have and
  have had to address
• Explain the measures you have taken to do this
  e.g. as a former civil servant I had to
  acknowledge that with my cohort
• Methods what methods have you chosen and why
  e.g. interviews (diss - observations /
  triangulation etc)
• Address the process you will undertook around
  your interviews and their transcription etc
• Remember justify, justify and justify some more

9
Methods cont.

• Participants
• Who and how many are there
• How and why was your sample selected any
  choices you made must be justified here
• Did you have a gatekeeper
• Briefed / debriefed
• Ethical Issues
• Give a full account of any issues that you have
  anticipated e.g. sensitivity / location etc
• BPS regs. ? informed consent, protection from
  harm, anonymity, confidentiality, right to
  withdraw, copy of transcript etc
• Data Analysis
• What will you do with your data? How will it be
  categorised / coded etc
• Give a step by step account of how you will
  approach this
• Justify your decisions

10
Results Section

• The data section of a qualitative report looks
  very different
• Two approaches to this
• Separate Results and Discussion
• Combine
• Separating is probably easier at this stage
• Results section needs a solid introduction that
  sets out what will follow i.e.
• The order it will take
• Emerging themes that will be introduced and
  discussed

11
The Art of Juxtaposing

• Dont be nervous of sub-headings here e.g.
  Introduction, Theme 1, Theme 2 etc
• Remember there is a need to always contextualise
• Juxtapose in contextualising you need to work
  out a formula whereby you present data, make
  interpretation through comment alongside theory
• Chenail (1995) suggests the following formula.

12
Chenail (1995) on rhythm

• Section Heading
• Present the finding
• Introduce the first data example
• Display the first data example of the finding
• Comment further on the first data example of this
  finding
• Make transition to the second data example
• Display the second data example
• Comment further on the second data example
• Make transition to the next data example and so
  on until you are ready to close this section
• What this creates is a rhythm to your data
• It progressively builds an argument around your
  findings and its relationship to the theory you
  have cited in your intro.

13
Results ? Discussion

• Systematically work through your findings in the
  Results section through to
• Discussion Section
• Two separate sections allows you to sit back and
  cohesively pull all your results together
• In this section you would as usual start with an
  overall conclusion which is summarised alongside
  the literature you previously cited
• Critique your study
• Reflexive heading
• again consider your biases
• address any concerns you had
• locate yourself in the research process how was
  it for you, how did you feel, what did you learn,
  was it enjoyable?
• Make comment as usual on how your study could be
  improved and extended
• A Conclusion paragraph or two to put the whole
  thing to bed

14
References

• Behar, R. (2003), Ethnography and the book that
  was lost. Ethnography, Vol. 4(1) 15-39.
• Chenail, R.J. (1995) Presenting Qualitative Data,
  The Qualitative Report, Vol. 2 (3).
  (http//www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR2-03/presenting.htm
  l)
• Constas, M.A. (1992) Qualitative analysis as a
  public event The documentaion of category
  development procedures. American Educational
  Research Journal, 29, 253-266.