Writing narrative reports

Telling stories using qualitative

data
 Qualitative Data Analysis
• Looks for common themes and patterns.
• Sample quotations are used.
• Categories of responses are identified and the
number of responses that fall within these
categories are identified.
• No statistical analysis is required – but
demographic information may be expressed in
percentages or placed in tables.
 Example of using quotes (from
gang study in Sin City)
One fourth of the youths surveyed said that they didn’t like
gangs or didn’t want to join a gang. Almost 40% said that
being in a gang was bad or stupid. One youth described
being in a gang as a “dead end choice.” Nine percent felt
that being in a gang was dangerous or scary. One
respondent said being in a gang was scary because
“they always talk about killing or beating up other
people.” Only 6% of the respondents thought being in a
gang was fun or was necessary for protection. However,
one youth said that being in a gang made him feel “safe
and good, cool to be around.”
In the previous quote there were
categories:
• Didn’t like gangs
• Gangs are bad or stupid
• Being in a gang is fun
Analysis of Reading Assignment in the Journal of
Poverty: The mirror has two faces

What do the authors mean by “the mirror

has two faces”?
What were they studying?
In general, how did the workers perceive
clients? What categories (typologies) did
the authors used to describe these
perceptions?
 Analysis of Article Continued:
Answer: Categories of Workers
1) Good workers – treat clients with respect
2) Bad workers – rude; check up on clients

What evidence did the authors use to support

dividing their responses into categories?
Overall, what were the major themes associated
with both groups? Did these themes stand out
in all portions of the data analysis?
 One approach to writing narratives can also
include:

• The writer’s own thoughts, values, and

beliefs.
• An interpretation of the research
participant’s behavior or thoughts.
For example, this quotation from Fadiman, A. (1997).
The spirit catches you and you fall down. New York: Farrar,
Straus, & Giroux.
While Foua was telling me about the dozens of
tasks that constituted her “easy” work in Laos, I
was thinking that when she said she was stupid,
what she really meant was that none of her
former skills were transferable to the U.S. –
none, that is, except for being an excellent
mother to her nine surviving children. It then
occurred to me that this last skill had been
officially contradicted by the American
government, which had legally declared her a
child abuser.
 One approach to writing a narrative is
“thick description” – creation of a picture
of observed events, people involved, rules
associated with certain activities, and
social context or environment. Thick
description can also incorporate the
researcher’s perspectives.
Clients articulate their belief that the welfare system is
not designed to help them succeed or care for their
families….Often it feels as if the information they
received from workers is blatantly wrong. In one focus
group, participants talked assuredly of the
misinformation they had received ….As one women
said
“[The policy] is a lie. This what happens in the welfare
system”….Such a lack of trust raises serious questions
about whether or not clients will heed front-line staff.
From Sandfort, Kalil, & Gottschalk (1999). The mirror has two faces.
Journal of Poverty, 3 (3), 71-91.
 A narrative or text-based
summary should include
• Identification of common themes in responses.
• Patterns of behavior
• Cultural or other symbols found in the setting or
described by respondents.
• Identification/description of cultural norms
• Common words or phrases used by many
respondents with sample quotations
• Minority responses with sample quotations
 Exercise for Today
Look at the Yang article “A door swinging
between two worlds” on E-reserve. Does
the title of the article give away the theme
of this narrative?
In your group, identify the places in the
narrative where the author describes why
she is swinging between both worlds.
 On Thursday
• We will analyze data from each of the four
focus groups for at least two of the
questions in our interview guide.
• We will talk about how to finish
assignment #1