Applying Qualitative Research Skills to Professional Practice

Hello Qualitative Mind,

About two months ago, I was invited to speak to a virtual classroom of soon-to-be dietetic interns about applying the professional skills they’re building to qualitative research. My goal going into the presentation was to encourage future dietitians to engage in opportunities to conduct qualitative research projects in their professional roles. I wanted the presentation to be inspirational and practical, and based on the feedback I received from those students I believe it was!

So, why am I sharing this with you? Most of you, Quali Q blog readers, are academics who often teach undergraduate courses. Thus, I want you to gain some ideas on how you can plant a seed for more openness, understanding and appreciation of qualitative inquiry among future professionals in your area of work and research.

In the one-hour presentation I delivered, I covered what qualitative research is (and what we can explore through qualitative methods, i.e., in dietetics), how students’ training sets them up well to conduct qualitative research, and what areas of their training might be a foe when it comes to qualitative methods.

You might be curious about the friend or foe question; let me explain. Many professionals (including dietitians, doctors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, etc.) are trained to be active listeners, to ask insightful questions without judgement, to consider contextual factors, to synthesize complex information, to facilitate groups, and to support people in their personal journeys. All these skills can be transferred to different parts/elements of qualitative research methods, and help professionals who want to participate, as researchers, in qualitative projects.

On the other hand, most undergraduate students (especially in health sciences) learn very little (or nothing?) about the philosophy of science, ontology and epistemology, history of ethics, positionality and reflexivity. As such, it becomes more challenging for them to truly understand qualitative methods, and eventually engage in rigorous qualitative research.

These are the main reasons for the friend or foe question. I think recognizing students’ strengths is key in inspiring them to be more empathic professionals in the future. Yet, they must also understand that more important than being right is getting it right (as Brené Brown says), and that might mean something much more profound than what they learned throughout their undergraduate work. As I said before, the goal is to plant a seed, not a full-grown, mature tree.

All the best in your teaching of qualitative methods to undergraduate students! In my opinion, it’s a lot of fun!

Talk soon,

Maira