Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
Analysing data They also highlight the crucial role of the researcher who, whatever approach is being used, has to make many decisions about what actually to do in practice. Qualitative data analysis is a dynamic process and no method can stand in isolation from the world of research practice. Any approach is mediated by the researcher and is only as good as its capacity to assist the researcher to make sense of the data collected. This is not meant to imply an ‘anything goes’ approach to data analysis. It is always incumbent on the researcher to be rigorous and purposeful, to be clear about the steps taken in data analysis and to be able to defend those steps. This is arguably even more so in qualitative research where there are many possible approaches and where the researcher is so integral an instrument at every stage of the process. The stories presented here, part of the accumulated experience of qualitative researchers, have a part in the continuing evolution of the complex world of qualitative data analysis. 157
8 Presenting and writing up Presentation and writing up are integral parts of the research process—no research is completed until it has been reported on. Any one study may be reported in a variety of forms, each with a different purpose and directed at a different audience. It is in fact rare for research findings to be presented in just one form. Where research has been funded, there will be formal reporting requirements. Where research participants have shared their experiences in good faith for the research to be used to create awareness of some issue or problem or to highlight implications for practice or policy, there is an added responsibility to report. Richardson (1990) provides a practical account of the publication of her research on single women involved in long-term relationships with married men in three forms: as a popular book, The New Other Woman (1985), an academic journal article (1988) and an article for a mass-circulation magazine (1986). Presentation and writing up are, of course, just part of the process of ensuring that research findings are directed in such a way that they make a difference to our understanding of particular issues or problems and to how we, as a society, respond to them. Program evaluation writers (Alkin, 1990; Weiss, 1990; Patton, 1997; Owen & Rogers, 1999) commonly draw a distinction between the dissemination of evaluation findings and their use—a distinction that is equally relevant for all social research. Dissemination is a crucial first step but it in no way guarantees use. There are clearly limits to the researcher’s control over if and how their research will 158
- Page 124 and 125: Tailoring data collection Caroline
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- Page 128 and 129: Tailoring data collection Dorothy:
- Page 130 and 131: Tailoring data collection Tim: real
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- Page 136 and 137: 6 Mixing methods ‘Mixed methods
- Page 138 and 139: Mixing methods the different compon
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- Page 154 and 155: Mixing methods Yvonne: that overarc
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- Page 170 and 171: Analysing data I’d said that’,
- Page 172 and 173: Analysing data straight to the inte
- Page 176 and 177: Presenting and writing up be used.
- Page 178 and 179: Presenting and writing up participa
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- Page 182 and 183: Presenting and writing up difficult
- Page 184 and 185: Presenting and writing up adopted c
- Page 186 and 187: Presenting and writing up Yvonne: L
- Page 188 and 189: Presenting and writing up of the th
- Page 190 and 191: Presenting and writing up Tim: stor
- Page 192 and 193: Presenting and writing up Anne felt
- Page 194 and 195: 9 Epilogue: From research to practi
- Page 196 and 197: Epilogue are presented to the way i
- Page 198 and 199: Epilogue • Diffusion (disseminati
- Page 200 and 201: Epilogue practical and simple langu
- Page 202 and 203: Epilogue violence, the things we em
- Page 204 and 205: Epilogue [it] was dragging me along
- Page 206 and 207: Epilogue through reporting the expe
- Page 208 and 209: References Beresford, B. 1997 Perso
- Page 210 and 211: References Darlington, Y., Osmond,
- Page 212 and 213: References Johnson, K. & Scott, D.
- Page 214 and 215: References ——1995 In-depth Inte
- Page 216 and 217: References ——1990 Writing Strat
- Page 218 and 219: References Tilse, C. 1994 ‘Long t
- Page 220 and 221: Index Page numbers in italics refer
- Page 222 and 223: Index ‘getting in/getting on/gett
Analys<strong>in</strong>g data<br />
They also highlight <strong>the</strong> crucial role of <strong>the</strong> researcher who, whatever<br />
approach is be<strong>in</strong>g used, has to make many decisions about what<br />
actually to do <strong>in</strong> practice.<br />
<strong>Qualitative</strong> data analysis is a dynamic process and no method<br />
can stand <strong>in</strong> isolation from <strong>the</strong> world of research practice. Any<br />
approach is mediated by <strong>the</strong> researcher and is only as good as its<br />
capacity to assist <strong>the</strong> researcher to make sense of <strong>the</strong> data collected.<br />
This is not meant to imply an ‘anyth<strong>in</strong>g goes’ approach to data<br />
analysis. It is always <strong>in</strong>cumbent on <strong>the</strong> researcher to be rigorous and<br />
purposeful, to be clear about <strong>the</strong> steps taken <strong>in</strong> data analysis and to<br />
be able to defend those steps. This is arguably even more so <strong>in</strong> qualitative<br />
research where <strong>the</strong>re are many possible approaches and<br />
where <strong>the</strong> researcher is so <strong>in</strong>tegral an <strong>in</strong>strument at every stage of<br />
<strong>the</strong> process. The stories presented here, part of <strong>the</strong> accumulated<br />
experience of qualitative researchers, have a part <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g<br />
evolution of <strong>the</strong> complex world of qualitative data analysis.<br />
157
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