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Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad

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Present<strong>in</strong>g and writ<strong>in</strong>g up<br />

Yvonne:<br />

Liz:<br />

Yvonne:<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r hand to respond to domestic violence as a<br />

crime . . . and I th<strong>in</strong>k Domestic Violence Matters was<br />

part of a journey where I arrived at this understand<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

but when I was writ<strong>in</strong>g it up I hadn’t quite grasped it<br />

with <strong>the</strong> clarity I have now. Had I [had that clarity], I<br />

th<strong>in</strong>k that would have been <strong>the</strong> thread <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> police<br />

chapter that would have given it a different feel, and<br />

would have enabled me to move <strong>in</strong> and out of <strong>the</strong><br />

qualitative and quantitative <strong>in</strong> a way that had a sense<br />

of direction. I feel that chapter provides lots and lots<br />

of <strong>in</strong>formation, and not enough signposts as to why is<br />

this <strong>in</strong>formation here, what is it do<strong>in</strong>g ...<br />

So what you do <strong>in</strong> practice is to <strong>in</strong>terweave <strong>the</strong> qualitative<br />

and quantitative data, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> same chapter, <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> same section even . . .<br />

And <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terpretative, conceptual, analytic, all those<br />

th<strong>in</strong>gs that are what <strong>the</strong> researcher’s job is <strong>in</strong> relation<br />

to this material, to f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> thread ...I don’t th<strong>in</strong>k I<br />

would know how to write it <strong>in</strong> any o<strong>the</strong>r way now,<br />

which is <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and it hasn’t been a pr<strong>in</strong>cipled<br />

decision to do this with some k<strong>in</strong>d of deeply sophisticated<br />

rationale at all. I th<strong>in</strong>k it is to do with how I<br />

understand multi-methods, but <strong>the</strong>se th<strong>in</strong>gs you do<br />

on a subconscious level without [realis<strong>in</strong>g]—you are<br />

mak<strong>in</strong>g me br<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> surface th<strong>in</strong>gs that are just<br />

implicit <strong>in</strong> my work—that I do see <strong>the</strong> two k<strong>in</strong>ds<br />

of data as be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a dialogue with each o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

Sometimes <strong>the</strong>y just illum<strong>in</strong>ate each o<strong>the</strong>r, and sometimes<br />

it is about say<strong>in</strong>g it is all very well to have<br />

<strong>the</strong>se numbers, but actually sitt<strong>in</strong>g underneath <strong>the</strong>se<br />

numbers is a much more complex, difficult and<br />

dilemma-filled reality. The numbers don’t enable you<br />

to know that, but you need to know it if you are<br />

go<strong>in</strong>g to do anyth<strong>in</strong>g useful, or if you are go<strong>in</strong>g to even<br />

understand it properly. So to me <strong>the</strong>y need to be<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r to illum<strong>in</strong>ate, ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong> a sort of confirmational<br />

way, or <strong>in</strong> a way that it is more complicated than that.<br />

Do you see <strong>the</strong> methods as more or less equal, or at<br />

<strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> day does one become more <strong>in</strong>fluential<br />

than <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r? Or does that depend on <strong>the</strong> context of<br />

where you are report<strong>in</strong>g?<br />

169

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