Qualitative Research Question

[Wayne Wright]

Miriam,

I believe the practice you are describing is the use of analytic vignetttes in qualitative research. (See Erickson article in the Handbook of Research on Teaching). I have used this in some of my research with second language learners, but you raise some good questions.

I think the appropriateness of their use depends on what they are being used for. In my case I used them to create vivid descriptions of students describing their struggles with language learning and language loss. I wrote them in the 3rd person to recreate events described to me in interviews by participants. The purpose was to provide thick description and make these events as vivid as possible to the reader, and to allow the reader to serve as a co-analyst of the data to determine if these events from the data supported the assertions (or conclusions) of the study.

Vignettes would not be appropriate, however, if the purpose of interview transcripts and observational data is to analyze actual language use of the participants, as is common in linguistic studies.

Hope this helps!

-Wayne

Wayne E. Wright, PhD
University of Texas, San Antonio
Bicultural-Bilingual Studies







Miriam E Ebsworth <mee1 at nyu.edu> wrote:
Thanks so much for your input Saran. Your views are very helpful.
Cheers,
Miriam

Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth, Ph.D.

Director of Doctoral Programs in Multilingual Multicultural Studies
New York University,635 East Building
239 Greene St., New York, NY 10003

work phone: 212-998-5195
home phone: 973-762-1530

work fax 212-995-4198
home fax 973-762-7537 (busy if online)


----- Original Message -----
From: Saran
Date: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 2:40 pm
Subject: Re: Qualitative Research Question

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> Am not sure if this helps but will share my experience anyway.
>
> The first phase of the research project on "Language planning and
> policy in
> higher education" which focuses on the change in medium of
> instruction
> from Bahasa to English for science and technology, involves two
> hour
> interviews with respective deputy vcs (academic affairs), deans of
> faculties of science and technology and engineering (44 in all
> from all the
> 9 public universities). A number of them have learnt English as a
> second
> language and the interviews are conducted in English - they are
> given the
> choice to respond in Bahasa or English but the majority select the
> latter. I do not aim to doctor their comments and viewpoints but
> will
> present them as authentic data. I feel that adjustments to the
> language
> may adjust the meaning, flavour of the messages.
>
> Am using N6 software to assist with the analysis - teasing out
> data that
> supports dominant strands that have been worked out.
>
> Best,
>
> Saran
>
>
>
> At 03:36 PM 12/13/2004, you wrote:
>
> > > Is anyone familiar with the practice of presenting qualitative
> > > data in the form of first person stories informed by interviews,
> > > discussions, notes and so forth with participants who are second
> >language learners?
> > >
> > > I have come across stories constructed by the researcher which
are
> > > written in the first person as part of the results section of a
> > > dissertation. While they have aspects of the "flavor" of a second
> > > language learner, to my eyes, the actual language use presented
> > > appears somewhat more fluent and native than the interview
> > > transcripts
> > > and other data sources would indicate. The actual sources of
> > > specific language used are not listed except in a summary way-
the
> >stories
> > > appear to be an amalgam which dramatizes the experiences of the
> >participants.
> > >
> > > I have been told by some fellow faculty that this approach is now
> > > well accepted in qualitative research circles and it's about
> time I
> >got
> > > on the bandwagon. One colleague shared that 95% of
> participants in a
> > > bilingualism and literacy conference she has just attended
favored
> > > this approach.
> > >
> > > I appreciate the opportunity to learn about a new way (to me) to
> > > analyze and present data, but I have some concerns about how the
> > > participants' words, language, and order of ideas are transformed
> > > through this process.
> > >
> > > Your thoughts, experiences, analysis, opinions, sources for these
> > > ideas- in short anything you could add to the conversation
> will be
> > > appreciated.
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > >
> > > Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth, Ph.D.
> > >
> > > Director of Doctoral Programs in Multilingual Multicultural
> Studies> >
> > >
>
>
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