Converting research findings into action-able pattern-languages

Abstract

This paper describes an approach to developing and formatting research findings with the aim of making those findings easily understood within the wider “lay” community to encourage take-up and action. It is of value to researchers seeking to extend their findings beyond the immediate research participants and the academic literature. There are similarities with action research, but with an intended wider potential audience. The approach formats research findings as “instructive advices” able to be used by others beyond the research, drawing on similar work first developed in the field of architecture—wherein they are referred to as “patterns.” This is the second of a pair of papers published in The Qualitative Report describing the use of this approach in a particular research project. The first paper described a purpose-designed tool developed to obtain and structure the research data via interviews with the research participants. This second paper describes the subsequent conversion of this data into these instructive advice “patterns.” This involved a workshop where the research participants themselves wrote a set of such patterns based on a theme from their earlier interviews. Because the process was unfamiliar, it was found the participants could not fully complete the intended work. This paper also explains the revised process then adopted and includes a reflective review of its efficacy to assist use by others.