Introduction/Overview

The course introduces you to various techniques and strategies for the writing up of your qualitative data.

After collecting and analysing our qualitative data we can be faced with vast swathes of data and excerpts which we need to make sense of and order appropriately in order to communicate a clear and engaging story to our audiences. Writing is also a vital means through which qualitative researchers make sense of and think about their data. Therefore, it is both process and product.

This introductory course is mainly suitable for researchers who have completed data collection or at the least are currently in the midst of data collection and/or analysis. It provides participants with the skills needed to write up and present their qualitative data and findings. In addition to presentations, this training includes practical elements such as workshop discussions, examples of qualitative data, and application of various strategies for writing up.

By the end of the course participants will have knowledge of various ways of writing up and presenting qualitative data and how this differs from the presentation of quantitative data. They will be able to align their writing to the principles of qualitative research in order to effectively communicate their insights.

Learning outcomes

• Understand the principles of qualitative writing;
• Have knowledge of the ways in which qualitative writing differs from the presentation of quantitative data;
• A practical exercise will enable participants to familiarise themselves with examples of qualitative writing;
• Be able to structure and organise a qualitative report;
• Have an awareness of the importance of reflexivity and ethics in writing up qualitative data.

Topics

During the course we will cover:

• Dealing with different forms of qualitative data;
• The challenges faced when writing up qualitative data;
• Explanation in qualitative research;
• Themes, categories, concepts and typologies;
• How to clearly display qualitative evidence in various outputs;
• Structuring and organising a qualitative report or article;
• The presentation of data - i.e. dealing with quotes and excerpts.

Who will benefit

This introductory course will be of value to researchers who already have a basic understanding of qualitative research but who wish to delve into the writing up of qualitative data in more depth. It provides a basic overview of the principles of qualitative writing and also more in-depth knowledge of various strategies for effectively communicating qualitative findings.

Course tutor

Dr Karen Lumsden is a trainer in qualitative methods and a research consultant. She has held a number of academic posts including Assistant Professor in Criminology at the University of Nottingham and Associate Professor at the University of Leicester. She has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Aberdeen. Karen has over 15 years’ experience teaching qualitative methods including at the Universities of Aberdeen, Bristol, Glasgow, Essex, Auckland, Kingston University, and for the SRA. She has designed and delivered training for police constabularies, government departments, and research consultancies. She is on the Editorial Board of Qualitative Research.

  This course contributes 6 hours to the MRS CPD programme