Using Quotes to Present Claims: Practices for the Writing Stages of Qualitative Research

Abstract

While there has been a great deal of guidance on qualitative research methodology, such scholarship has focused almost exclusively on the first three parts of the qualitative process: study design, data gathering, and coding/analysis. We suggest that writing findings is a fourth stage that involves pre-writing and composing. Our intent is to provide practices for this phase for those who are using qualitative data as the evidentiary basis for their claims. The pre-writing phase is strengthened by structuring claims and storyboarding findings, while the composing phase is improved by critically evaluating how to insert the author's voice. Practices surrounding qualitative writing are discussed, such as which quotes to include, where to place quotes, and how to edit quotes. Annotated examples are also provided that show both recommended and nonrecommended ways of inserting the author's voice into a findings section. A sample structure for writing a claim—a claim table—and a sample storyboard are provided.