Blog #14
The full text of my article can be found at
http://www.parint.org/isajewebsite/bookimages/isaje_2nd_edition_chapter6.pdf
I chose this page because it dealt specifically with presentation of results in qualitative research such as my own.
This article focuses on the importance of clear, thorough and logical presentation of qualitative research results in order to address the commonly raised concern that qualitative research is in some way less scientific or valid than quantitative research is to the scientific community. It is also of great importance for qualitative researchers to make the connections between their methods and results sections painstakingly clear. How was the data gathered in an accurate and meaningful way, what was the information gleaned from the process, what precautions were taken to ensure that as little bias as possible ended up in the results, and how was the information gathered interperted in a scientifically valid and meaningful manner?
A good discussion section should include a recap of the research question and a breif summary of the most significant of a researcher’s results. This should be followed by a discussion of the meaning and interpertation of the results, particularly in reference to previously reviewed and referenced quanititative studies. Focus should be around how the current qualitative research adds meaningful understanding to the topic that previous quantitative research approached but was unable to grasp due to its inherent limitations. Shortcomings of the current study should also be clearly addressed, as well as suggestions as to what the data means and where future research should go based on the gathered information of the current study.
