I'm having trouble about how to report what my participants were saying. I've sorted the quote issue, but how do I report my interpretation? I've put things like

"participants felt that..."

and my sup has crossed it out, but hasn't put any other recommendations. I think she wants me to put stuff like "participants reported...." but I've put 'reported' SO many times it looks ridiculous.

Has anyone got any good ways of saying this type of stuff?

I have a similar problem. I have tried to vary the language, not sure if I have done it with any success. Here are a few examples:

For some interviewees the effect of the thickness of potato skins when eating chips results in a change in the perception of the flavour:

*and then put a quote here that supports the above statement.

While others discussed how an increased perception of flavour, resulting from increased potato skins and additional salt influenced the joy of eating chips:

*another quote here that supports the above statement.

so rather than saying x reported this . I have tried to say this is what x said, then repeat what they said, but in their words.

Hope that makes sense

======= Date Modified 28 Sep 2011 12:47:55 =======
I've done similar to Fm but only added an intro statement, then quote, then explored the quote further on the following paragraph if that makes sense. (Borrowing your example, Fm, hope you don't mind!)

For some interviewees the effect of the thickness of potato skins when eating chips results in a change in the perception of the flavour:

*and then put a quote here that supports the above statement.

(I then added a paragraph where I explore the quote above, this is where I add some of my findings/relate to theory as well rather than just the describe what's been said by the participant)

While others discussed how an increased perception of flavour, resulting from increased potato skins and additional salt influenced the joy of eating chips:

*another quote here that supports the above statement.

(Again, I explored the second quote, related to theory/findings but also compared to why this participants' response was different from the previous quote)

What qual methodology did you use? GT?

======= Date Modified 29 Sep 2011 13:43:35 =======

Hi Skig

Would you mind expanding on what you mean by "...this is where I add some of my findings..." please? Am I right in saying that your quote above and your intro to it is in reference to your findings? If so, I'm not sure what you mean by the sentence I've quoted. Does that make sense? LOL


Cheers!

I have another question!!!


Can I say "the penguin participants did not appear to consider fish as important in their diet" or does the 'did not appear' completely conjecture???

Don't want to take over the thread so I pm'd you. Hope that's ok.

I think it depents on what methodology you're using and the contents of the interviews. If you're using IPA, for example, the short answer is 'yes' regardless as it relies on the researcher's interpretation anyway. If this is not the case, I'd be more careful if I were you. Have they said they don't consider fish important? If so, go for it, if it's your take then maybe you can raise the fact that they didn't mention it?

As a whole, I tend to stick to facts so I'd flag the absence of any mentioning altogether and speculate that fish may not be important to them. However, if they did not specifically state it, then you need to be careful with how you say it and you may want to expand on how you arrived at that conclusion.

I hope this makes sense, I'm no expert on quals, well, I don't think I'm an expert on anything, but I'm just giving you my takes on it and what I've done/been told by sups.

Good luck.

This feels like a basic response, but here I go anyway.

How about "stated" "proclaimed" "mentioned" "noted" "revealed" "declared" "disclosed" "informed", and my favourite "detailed"?

Hey Sneaks

Going back to your original question here - I've just come across this article about presenting qualitative data. Thought it might be of interest and provide some answers!

http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR2-3/presenting.html

======= Date Modified 03 Oct 2011 19:12:17 =======

don't know what happened below:$ but what I meant to say was

I've used that article and the one he recommends (Healing fictions...) and found them both extremely useful. I also subscribe to the [free] Qualitative Report online at: http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/WQR/wqr4_40.html - it comes weekly into my inbox :-). "Data as star", that's my argument - just hope my examiners see it that way:$

That's what i think too

My main stumbling block is that I use existing literature to guide my themes, so I then have to talk about how the themes match existing literature/what is new somewhere - found it really hard to work out where - in the findings, or in the discussion. Opted for the former, because it seems so silly to say all the themes, then say them all again in the dscisussion so I can say whether they're similar/different. Its been driving me insane and I suspect sup will probably go against whatever I decide anyway.