This course focuses on integrating memo writing and code development into a larger analytic process as we keep the parts and the whole of data in mind. The content is methodologically informed by the Sort and Sift, Think and Shift approach developed by the consulting team at ResearchTalk.

Coding and memo writing are strategic ways of assessing “evidence” and meaning in qualitative research. They function as simultaneous and fluid tasks that occur during actively reviewing interviews, focus groups, audio-visual data, and other kinds of qualitative data. As researchers, we discern both holistic meaning at the level of the document and concentrated meaning at the level of the code.

Memos function as generative reflections that allow us to discern layers of tangible and implied meaning within a quotation as well as expand our analytic understanding of a transcript as a holistic “landscape.” Memo writing strategies help us develop abstract thinking, discern inscribed meaning between pieces of data, and assess collective evidence for emerging claims. Researchers can also mine memos for codes and incorporate memos in building evocative themes and theory. Memos can also resemble early writing for reports, articles, chapters, and other forms of presentation. The following types of memos will be discussed: key quotation memos, holistic document memos, positionality memos, and comparison memos.

We will discuss a priori codes—our point of departure—and “emerging” codes and consider how codes can surface from our simultaneous memo writing as well as shift unexpectedly during analysis. That is, we will not present coding and memo writing as necessarily discrete phases but rather conceptually conjoined as we move back and forth from one form of attentiveness to another, gathering, questioning, and revisiting narrative evidence. Though the course will not cover final products of analysis, our discussion of memos and codes will set the foundation for assessing code connections, shared meanings, identifying code “constellations,” and building multidimensional themes. Our discussion of codes will include the following topics: the importance of code names and evolving code memos, moving from descriptive to conceptual codes, and using memos intentionally throughout analysis.

For more information on Sort and Sift, Think and Shift, see the following:

• Maietta, Raymond C., Reifsteck, Erin J., Petruzzelli, Jeff, Mihas, Paul, Swartout, Kevin, & Hamilton, Alison B. “The Sort and Sift, Think and Shift Analysis Method” (chapter 16), in Richards, K. A., Hemphill, M. A., & Wright, P. M. (Eds.). (2024). Qualitative research and evaluation in physical education and sport pedagogy. Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://www.jblearning.com/catalog/productdetails/9781284262391
• Maietta, R., Mihas, P., Swartout, K., Petruzzelli, J., & Hamilton, A. B. (2021). Sort and Sift, Think and Shift: Let the Data Be Your Guide An Applied Approach to Working With, Learning From, and Privileging Qualitative Data. The Qualitative Report, 26(6), 2045-2060. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.5013

Mixed methods research requires specialized integration skills in addition to leveraging existing qualitative and quantitative researcher expertise. Further expertise is necessary for pursuing mixed methods research under conditions of ‘complexity’, that is, the state or quality of having many, often interconnected parts that are difficult to study because no known solutions or procedures exist to guide researchers. Recognizing various sources of complexity in our mixed methods research settings requires new ways of thinking about and approaching our studies. Adaptative practices help mixed methods researchers navigate the emergent and changeable study conditions characteristic of complex phenomena. Adopting a complexity lens promotes a view of how we see, understand, and influence mixed methods research reflective of assumptions of nonlinearity and the principles of complexity science. This course will engage discussions of integrative thinking with complexity when designing, executing, and disseminating mixed methods research.

We will consider four key questions:

1. How can integrative thinking with complexity guide mixed methods researchers in their designs?
2. What does designing for integration in mixed methods research under conditions of complexity involve, including the role of theory, mixed sampling strategies, and data procedures?
3. How can we optimize descriptive evidence of integration and visual diagramming in proposals and publications when studying complex phenomena?
4. What recent advances in mixed methods research can be incorporated into complexity-informed proposals, practices, and manuscripts?

Knowledge of and experience with the issues raised in these questions will maximize the quality of your designs, feasibility of your procedures, and avenues for disseminating your completed mixed methods research.

Participants are encouraged to bring a study idea or preliminary draft of a proposal or paper that they can explore during the workshop as time allows.

Workshop content is derived from diverse sources, including Poth’s text: Innovation in Mixed Methods Research (2018, Sage), Poth’s Handbook chapters and editorial role: The SAGE Handbook of Mixed Methods Research Design (2023, Sage), and Poth’s open access articles:

• Poth, C. (2020). Confronting complex problems with adaptive mixed methods research practices. Caribbean Journal of Mixed Methods research, 1(1), 29-46. Access HERE
• Poth, C., Bulut, O., Aquilina, A., & Otto, S. J. G. (2021). Using data mining for rapid complex case study descriptions: Examples of public health briefings during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 15(3), 348-373. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15586898211013925
• Poth, C. (2019). Realizing the integrative capacity of educational mixed methods research teams: Using a complexity-sensitive strategy to boost innovation, Mixed Methods special issue of the International Journal of Research and Method in Education, 42(3), 252-266. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2019.1590813
• Poth, C., Molina-Azorin, J. F., & Fetters. M. D. (2022). Virtual special issue on “Design of mixed methods research: Past advancements, present conversations, and future possibilities,” Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 16(3), 274-280. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898221110375
• Gokiert, R., Poth, C., Kingsley, B., El Hassar, & Tink, L. (2022). Insights from a complex mixed methods community-based participatory design for responding to the evaluation capacity needs of the early childhood field. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. 36(3), 287-315. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.70920

Writing is a fundamental aspect of qualitative methods throughout the research process—but one that people often struggle with in isolation or think only comes “at the end” of a project. In this two-day supportive workshop, participants will practice proven strategies for how to write a compelling qualitative report that is persuasive, significant, theoretically informed, and powerful. Using a mix of lecture and writing exercises, participants will learn vital writing techniques for making significant claims as well as connecting with key audiences. Workshop activities will focus on writing efficiently, creatively, and coherently—interweaving key evidence, imagery, metaphor, and arguments.

Whether you are writing an analytic report, dissertation, book, or academic journal article, this workshop will improve your craft. Further, the workshop is designed to provide a caring and useful environment for those grappling with writing revisions or responding to reviews or critiques. Participants should come with a topic to write about and an idea of desired audience(s) and outcomes for their writing.

Participants will:

1. Learn the specific ways that qualitative writing is distinct, as well as the benefits and constraints of different formatting approaches.
2. Practice theorizing, claim-making, and explanation through writing heuristics.
3. Consider audience first, including strategies for “being interesting”.
4. Understand four main types of qualitative tales, as well as the primary aspects of a qualitative research report -- including the abstract, rationale, literature review / conceptual framework, methods, findings, and implications.
5. Explore how to incorporate artistic and visual qualitative approaches such as drawings, photos, qualitative models, word clouds.
6. Be introduced to the most common pitfalls in qualitative writing and learn how to avoid them.
7. Brainstorm the most receptive outlets for your research, including alternative representations outside of the scholarly journal article.
8. Work through the publication process, including how to respond to critiques.
9. Know how to begin considering all of this even when the qualitative research is in progress.

Resources for this workshop will come, in part, from S. Tracy’s Qualitative Research Methods: Collecting Evidence, Crafting Analysis, Communicating Impact, 2nd Ed (Wiley, 2020) and from Sarah’s history of publishing more than 100 scholarly research reports and presenting qualitative research 350+ times to a variety of scholarly, professional, and pedagogical audiences.

As structural and systemic racism have become more commonplace concepts, there is a growing awareness about how structures (e.g., policies, programs, practices) contribute to the inequities we see in every system (e.g., healthcare, education, criminal legal system) between historically/systematically marginalized and privileged groups in the United States. For real and sustainable change to occur, individuals within these systems must continue to intentionally establish equitable structures and not reinforce overt or covert discrimination. This same intentionality should and must be applied to the work of people using qualitative research methods. During this course, Dr. Black will provide participants with key foundational knowledge and adaptive strategies for developing, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating qualitative data utilizing approaches that uplift equity and don’t reinforce structural discrimination in qualitative inquiry.

Topics that will be covered on Day 1 include:

• Approaching communities you have not previously worked with
• Considering (mis)alignment of participant-researcher social identities (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, education level, income level)
• Options for how and where the participant-researcher exchange takes place
• Equitable participant incentives
• Importance of framing interview questions

Topics that will be covered on Day 2 include:

• Viewing the data from a systems-level perspective
• Opportunities to engage participants after data collection
• Walking in and out of relationships with participants
• Sharing findings with participants and the wider community

Dr. Black will use examples from her own qualitative and community-based participatory research, as well as interactive activities to engage the course participants in lively and informative discussions about how qualitative researchers can effectively incorporate equity approaches in their engagement with the communities they work with and serve.

Rapid turn-around qualitative research depends on strategic decision-making to make data collection and analysis feasible without compromising rigor and depth of inquiry. In many fields, demand for this type of qualitative research is growing, as are techniques and strategies for conducting this type of research. This work is typically characterized by targeted research questions, strategic methods selection, and defined deliverables, due to constituents within a short timeframe. In this vein, we need to build skills for being responsive to what is happening in the field—emphasizing methodological flexibility and remaining attentive to opportunities for emergent discovery.

We begin this course by addressing the design and execution of rapid turn-around qualitative research. The following topics will be addressed using a varied set of examples:

• determining when, why, and how to apply conceptual or theoretical frameworks in rapid turn-around projects;
• conducting team-based data collection and analysis in rapid projects;
• exploring themes in rapid analysis;
• moving from rapid analysis to other analytic tools (e.g., diagrams, codes);
• fostering and maintaining rigor; and
• synthesizing and presenting rapid analysis results in different types of deliverables (e.g., reports, summaries, presentations, manuscripts).

Limitations of rapid analysis will be discussed. We will then focus on building additional analytic skills to move beyond early stages of reviewing and condensing data to more emergent and integrative techniques for discerning conceptual bridges and connective threads across data.

This course will provide participants with resources for building the foundational qualitative knowledge necessary for this work as well as strategies and tools for increasing methodological flexibility and managing the rigor of data collection and analysis. The course will draw on material from:

• Maietta, Raymond C., Reifsteck, Erin J., Petruzzelli, Jeff, Mihas, Paul, Swartout, Kevin, & Hamilton, Alison B. “The Sort and Sift, Think and Shift Analysis Method” (chapter 16), in Richards, K. A., Hemphill, M. A., & Wright, P. M. (Eds.). (2024). Qualitative research and evaluation in physical education and sport pedagogy. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Book available for purchase at: https://www.jblearning.com/catalog/productdetails/9781284262391
• Use the discount code RESTALK30 for a special 30% discount, plus free ground shipping.
• Maietta, R., Mihas, P., Swartout, K., Petruzzelli, J., & Hamilton, A. B. (2021). Sort and Sift, Think and Shift: Let the Data Be Your Guide, An Applied Approach to Working With, Learning From, and Privileging Qualitative Data. Qualitative Report, 26(6), 2045-2060. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.5013
• Hamilton, A., Finley, E. (2019). Qualitative methods in implementation research: an introduction. Psychiatry Research, Oct; 280:112516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112516
• St. George, S. M., Harkness, A. R., Rodriguez-Diaz, C. E., Weinstein, E. R., Pavia, V., & Hamilton, A. B. (2023). Applying rapid qualitative analysis for health equity: lessons learned using “EARS” with Latino communities. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22, 16094069231164938. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231164938

Much of our work, as qualitative researchers, is about process. From start to finish, we are asked to pay attention to what we know, assume, and perceive, and make assertions that stay “true” to our data. We must be both planful and open to shifts and changes. We must interpret and tend to how our positionalities influence these interpretations. We must accept the limitations of language and turn around and use this same language to clearly and cogently communicate our findings. We must be comfortable with both the concrete and the ambiguous.

We begin, on Day 1, by learning about the foundations for Vagle’s 5 principles which focus on WHAT we do, WHY we do what we do, and HOW we do it. We conclude Day 1 by learning about the 5 principles, in relation to a study each participant is currently designing or carrying out:

1. Phenomena (persistent, and often vexing, lived experiences) are always in flux. There is never nothing going on with them.
2. Contexts (moment-to-moment situations and broad social matters) constantly shape and re-shape these phenomena.
3. We must slow down a concrete dimension of a phenomenon, and a context that is shaping it, in order to open it up for reflection.
4. We then try to “see what frames our seeing” of that concrete dimension of the phenomenon and a context that is shaping it.
5. Finally, we aim to “look at, instead of through, the frames” that are most influencing the vexing phenomenon we are experiencing.

On Day 2, we will each identify and bring a challenging phenomenon we face in the process of designing or carrying out our current study—and will then work the 5 principles on our phenomenon and our study.