Transferring Qualitative Skills

Hello Qualitative Mind,

In the last Quali Q blog post, my friend and colleague Alexa wrote about her career transition and growing as a qualitative researcher in different professional stages. I decided to continue this conversation by sharing a bit more about my current work, and what qualitative research skills I’m putting to good use right now!

Through my different roles (within and outside of Quali Q), I’m gaining more experience with evaluation. Because the initiatives that I’m involved with take place in dynamic and socially complex environments, I’m learning more and more about developmental evaluation (Michael Quinn Patton has an excellent book on DE) and participatory approaches. I have a lot to learn as an evaluator – including becoming more comfortable with integrating qualitative and quantitative data – yet, I feel my qualitative research skills have enabled me to navigate the world of evaluation reasonably well.

If I had to single out one skill I’ve learned (and practiced ) as a qualitative researcher that has helped the most as an evaluator, I would say it’s adaptability. I’ve been able to adapt interview guides on the fly, pivot data collection methods as needed, and work with the data I have to the best of my abilities.

In my opinion, evaluating social innovations requires a faster pace than research, and the experiences I acquired through my PhD (especially with community-based participatory research) and entrepreneurship journey prepared me for this faster pace in which my work must happen.

Other qualitative research skills have also been vital in my work as an evaluator. Crafting interview guides, conducting interviews and focus groups, analyzing data and writing are part of my day-to-day activities and usually (although not always) I love doing those things!

One thing I want to tell you is that in the current state of the world, with a pandemic dragging on for almost two years, you might be finding yourself in a position where your next professional step is very different from your previous one or the one you might have expected for your future. If that is the case, keep in mind that as a qualitative researcher you have transferrable skills that are valuable, useful, meaningful and impactful. You can apply them in so many different roles.

I talked about something along these lines back in May 2021, and I encourage you to also read that blog post as you think about skills you want to enhance or, maybe, leave behind as you move on to your next thing in 2022!

Talk soon,

Maira