Telling a compelling story from research data

Dr Tansy JessopWriters’ Retreat

28 May 2014

Two paradigms…

Scientific - quantitative Control &

experiment Hypothesis

testing Numbers Statistics Technical

instruments Measurement Generalisable to

a wider community

Hypothesis generating Interpretation Researcher as

instrument Words, language,

discourse Detailed understanding Specific environments Interview, case study,

observation

Qualitative

Two interpretive communities (Denzin, 1994)

Tender-minded Tough-minded

Intuitive Emotional Open-ended texts Interpretation as art Personal biases Experimental texts

Hard nosed empiricists

Rational, cognitive Closed texts, system Interpretation as

method Neutrality Traditional texts

Read three examples of raw data:

1) Highlight the phrase that stands out for you in each transcript. Why does it strike you?

2) What can you tell about the context?3) What themes are evident in each

transcript?4) What puzzles or frustrates you?5) Make a list of a few codes for each

segment of data.6) How does this data compare with yours?

I’ve seen nothing

Trauma, dashed hopes, disappointment, frustration, conflict, perseverance

Flesh-and-blood social realities Voice, power, emotion Positioned – research from ‘somewhere’ Research as writing Interviews closer to poetry than

sociological prose

Why poetry?

“Poetry is the shortest emotional distance between two points” (Robert Frost).

Creative Critical

“Thick description” (Clifford Geertz, 1973)

Closer to speech of research participants

Disruptive Active voice Visible author Page turner Risky

Critical detachment Looks neutral and

objective Scientific Conformist Passive voice Invisible hand Yawn Publishable

Qualitative research: Art or science?

Complex issues Detailed contextual analysis Multiple sources of evidence (NSS scores,

module evaluations, focus groups, questionnaires)

Triangulation of data Answers how and why questions

Case Study Research

Look at Case Study Formats A and B. Spend 10 minutes filling in both forms from

the experience of your SF project. What differences do you notice?

TESTA case studies: why they work

Case Studies

“A vital text is not boring – it grips the reader” (Richardson, 1994).

Bridge between art and social science (Diversi, 1993).

Social Science research is always a ‘view from somewhere’ (Diversi 1993).

Develop empathy through narrative and personal stories, through art and creativity within the critical.

Endnotes

ReferencesBehar, R. (1996) The Vulnerable Observer: Anthropology that breaks your heart. Boston. Beacon Press.Denzin, N. (1994) ‘The Art and Politics of Interpretation’ in Handbook of Qual. Research. Calfornia. Sage. 500-515.Diversi, M. (1998) Glimpses of Street Life: Represented Experience through Short Stories. Qualitative Inquiry 4(2) 131-147Jessop and Penny (1999) A story behind a story: developing strategies for making sense of teacher narratives. Int. Journal of Social Research Methodology. 2(3) 213-230.Richardson, L. (1994) ‘Writing: A Method of Inquiry’ in Handbook of Qual. Research. California. Sage. 516-529.