The Level of Expertise
Prior to June of 2023, we had a private Facebook™ group called Quali Q For Qualitative Minds Group. The group was a safe space for qualitative researchers to ask questions and comment on the weekly videos related to the blog posts (such as this one)! To enter the group, one had to answer three questions, and one of them is about what they wanted to see in the group. Once, one of the new group members asked the following question:
“What level of expertise on a subject is required before doing publishable qualitative research?”
That question didn’t trigger any exciting content ideas in my brain until a few weeks ago when two events happened. First, I was conducting interviews for one of the projects I’m currently involved in, and had to spend a good hour on YouTube™ learning about insulin pumps. Second, a coaching client presented her results to me, and I found myself on good, old Google searching about a very specific test.
As a graduate student, I was involved in projects that I was highly familiar with because I had conducted extensive literature reviews, attended seminars and studied for classes and exams. I think I took that process for granted, and didn’t fully realize how much I knew about my research subject (and how valuable that was).
Now that I work as a consultant and support projects and researchers in areas that are less familiar to me, I often ask myself, “Am I missing something here because I don’t know what I don’t know?”
The answer is usually “maybe” and it brings a level of vulnerability to my work. I don’t really like the answer “maybe” or feeling vulnerable, but both have a valuable place in my qualitative journey. As uncomfortable as I might feel, the very practical fact that I’m not a subject expert increases my overall awareness and attentiveness throughout the project.
It makes me a better listener because I need to pay close attention as to understand the details of what participants are sharing with me. Also, it makes me a more practical researcher who needs to do what most people do when they don’t know something and need quick answer, which is to jump on YouTube™ or Google and search for videos and pictures that help with understanding new things.
These strategies enable me to become a better qualitative researcher over the course of a project, and grow closer to my clients and participants. With this realization, I do have a few thoughts about the level of expertise required to do publishable qualitative research.
Being a subject expert is helpful, and may decrease your nervousness at the beginning of a qualitative project or interview. However, it tends to create blind spots in a sense that you know way too well what you’re looking for when you come to the research and, as a result, you might miss things that aren’t on your mind (Kallia’s post explains this so well).
In contrast, not being a subject expert might decrease power differentials between researchers and participants. Yet, it does require more time, curiosity, ingenuity and vulnerability from the researcher. It might feel like too much if you are a novice on the subject, as well as the methods being used (i.e., qualitative methods). But, if you decide to slowly step outside of your expertise (perhaps in a one-step-at-a-time fashion), I can guarantee you’re going to learn so much, and feel thankful for all the things you didn’t know you didn’t know! It’s humbling, enlightening and life-giving.
Talk soon,
Maira