Navigating Writing in Qualitative Health Research
The first question that I want to ask you is, why do we care so much about writing in qualitative health research? You might be thinking it’s related to the pressure to publish within academia but, in my opinion, it goes beyond that. Writing qualitative findings can be intimidating because it comes with a lot of responsibility. As qualitative researchers, we’re naming things and making choices that are related to what people shared with us. We feel really responsible, as we should, because we are. We’re responsible for honoring our participants and their perspectives, for being ethical, and for communicating strengths where many stereotypes exist with deep roots. It's no wonder, then, that we feel somewhat intimidated by writing qualitative data.
It can also be hard for qualitative researchers to go through data analysis and write about a process that is hard to describe because it’s highly subjective and complex. The complexity in writing is not unique to qualitative research. The difference between quantitative and qualitative research, however, is that in quantitative research you often choose the method that you'll use to analyze the data {so the statistical method}. By doing that, you also select the variables that you'll be looking at and, once you do that, you tend to focus on certain variables and not even try or attempt to analyze all the variables collected. In qualitative research, however, we collect large amounts of data and those pieces usually come together to deepen our research and our writing. The more different pieces we can include in our analysis and writing, the better it is.
Now that I have set the stage for qualitative writing, I want to talk about its practice {so doing the writing}. A lot of people see writing as the final task that needs to be done once you have finished your data analysis. Although writing is essential in qualitative health research, it's not a final task. What I believe and say in my courses really aligns with what Richardson (1994, in Denzin & Lincoln, p. 516) says and that is, "Writing is also a way of 'knowing' - a method of discovery and analysis." You might not have your final categories and subcategories yet, or you might have too many. Regardless, you can and should start writing before you have perfected your categories because that perfection is an illusion and the reality is that writing will give you clarity {that you likely need}. Writing your data makes it easier for you to see the big picture, to recognize novelty, to engage in a necessary creative process.
“Lost in all the noise around is the proven truth about creativity: it’s the result of desire - the desire to find new truth, solve an old problem, or serve someone else. Creativity is a choice, it’s not a bolt of lightning from somewhere else. ”
This week we’re releasing a new {FREE} Quali Q resource, a mini masterclass on qualitative writing entitled From Qualitative Data to Paragraphs where I cover my three favorite strategies to move forward with qualitative writing.
To watch the mini masterclass (it’s only 20 minutes long), click here. Jess created a fantastic workbook you can use to doodle and take notes during the class. I sincerely want to encourage you to practice writing qualitative data! No, I don’t believe practice makes it perfect. I believe practice makes it possible, attainable. Your participants and communities need your qualitative findings out in the world, disseminated where they can serve and help others.
I not-so-secretly hope that you find one (or all three) strategies super helpful, and that with them in your pocket you’ll feel extra energized for qualitative writing in 2021 and beyond!
Talk soon,
Maira Quintanilha