Thread by @ep_qc

Mini thread on writing the results section of a qual research paper. I will limit my comments to people writing within constructivist or constructionist paradigms.

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#acwri #phdchat #qualresearch

First, accept that you are analyzing and interpreting the data. You are writing the piece, and therefore you should be in the paper. I prefer the first person (plural or singular, depending on whether you are writing in a team or alone, respectively).

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Second, accept that your data do not speak for themselves. You are interpreting them for your reader both during data analysis and while writing. That means that you have to do three things.

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A) introduce the data. Tell your reader who is speaking, and how to contextualize what the person said. Pasting it there without context will not be as effective.

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B) show the data. Either give a quote or reformulate what someone has told you. Sometimes you’ll need more than one quote to show nuance; or to substantiate controversial claims.

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C) interpret the data. Tell your reader what makes this data so interesting, what you personally see in it, and how it contributes to the story you are trying to tell. You are the expert; you know your data. Make your take on it shine.

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The three steps above are similar to the "sandwich structure" for paragraphs we learn in school: First, tell. Second, show. Third, tell. Each empirical paragraph should be a variation on said sandwich structure. (And remember that rules can be broken... parsimoniously).

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Third, all your paragraphs should try to push the story further. Your research section adds evidence to support your broader thesis for the article. Slowly accumulate it. Draw the picture for your reader. Then make it stick.

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Fourth, use headers to help your readers understand the structure of your argument. Use symmetry to simplify the argument. Use simple sentences when the material is hard to understand, or for effect. Elegant writing is easy to read.

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Fifth: kill your darlings. When you have a solid draft of your results, remove everything that does not push the argument forward. It is HARD, I know! I struggle as well.

But we’ve got this! 💪🤓

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