Campbell Query
September 16, 2014
I found the
article by Duncan (1998) to be very interesting and a different style of
writing than I am used to reading. I took the qualitative research class last
year and I was introduced to a different style of writing than I had learned in
previous classes. This article in particular reminded me of what I learned.
Research can take on so many different styles and this article in particular showed
me how research can vary.
I am currently writing
for my thesis and reading this style of writing was kind of refreshing. I think
story-telling is a great way to keep a reader entertained. So frequently we(I)
read quantitative literature and numbers can become monotonous. I like the idea
of writing through stories from a reading perspective. However, I do not think
that I would be particularly good at writing in this way. Duncan provides so
much detail. It is evocative. I think that if I tried to tie several different
stories together I would lack detail and lose my train of thought.
I also like what
she said stories provide. In the first paragraph she said, stories have the
power to evoke the truth and vividness of an experience. I had never looked at
story telling that way before. After reading the first story she wrote I understand
what she means. Steven’s story was vivid. You could see the transformation. Telling
a story provides the opportunity to transform something so that the reader can
begin to understand the issue. I think that story-telling in research is a very
hard skill to acquire but can be very effective.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Campbell. I must say, I had not previously considered the story-telling style of writing as a useful research tool either. In truth, I don’t believe I had ever seen it done. Accordingly, reading the past few assigned articles has helped open my eyes to the variety of directions that research can be taken.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who enjoys writing narratives, the prospect of using this style in research is an exciting one for me. That being said, as you touched on, I believe that it would be an adjustment for most individuals—including myself—to implement the story-telling style of writing in such a way.
At the very least though, these articles have encouraged me to consider this style in my research as a means of making myself more well-rounded in my academic pursuits.
Cam,
ReplyDeleteI definitely share your thoughts on story telling and this style of writing. Quantitative research articles can be dry and readers may have a hard time relating to them or even getting in to them (ME!) Being able to write evocatively is a skill that I am working on as a qualitative researcher. Now that I have blogs and journals for Dr. Spencer's classes I am very aware of my style of writing and I am hoping that my ability to use the story telling style grows with practice .
When she discusses having the power to evoke truth and vividness it really resonated with me. I want to be able to move people with my writing.
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
-Maddy
Cam,
ReplyDeleteThe points you made regarding story-telling and reader-relatability, and how it brings life to the reading, is exactly why I prefer qualitative research over quantitative. As Maddie had said, quantitative research can be extremely dry. When I see numbers and formulas I immediately become uninterested. I don’t necessarily see numbers as a way to connect to the reading and in order to fully immerse myself into an article I need to be interested/feel connected.
I also question my capability and skills of writing of this method. I guess the “epiphany” assignment will test my preconceived expectations. I hope that I am able to obtain this skill, because I feel like it will broaden my audience. Like you said, story-telling helps a reader relate to and connect the information they read; therefore, I am able to connect my writing to an audience who may have a lower reading/education level, but are still able to understand the material.
Cam,
ReplyDeleteI agree! Duncan (1998) was a different style of writing than I am used to reading as well. I never thought research would be able to be written in this style; I’m so used to just reading numbers, and facts, but never a story. It was fascinating to think that this way of story telling is still okay for professional journals, and it is helping me consider which class I should take: qualitative or quantitative? While I am still not sure, it did make me think about taking qualitative.
I also am not sure what I want to do my thesis in, and while I think that this would be a great style of writing to use. Unfortunately, I do not think for what I will end up researching for my thesis, I would be able but it’s a nice thought. It provides a point of view that you may not have thought about before, and that’s what I enjoy more than anything.
Thanks for sharing,
Jackie
Cam,
ReplyDeleteI thought your comments about quantitative research were interesting. I think a lot of people who prefer qualitative do find quantitative studies to get monotonous and adding that story-style would make it more relate-able to readers. I found your comment of "I do not think that I would be particularly good at writing in this way" to be very interesting. Coming from a writing background, I've always found a more creative style to come more easily to me, whereas research writing is difficult. I do think, however, that we are all capable of being great story tellers. The more you explore that style of writing, the better you will become (kind of like practicing a sport!)
I agree with you that story telling is research is effective but difficult to implement. My question to you would be, where do you think your starting point for doing this would be?
Overall, I enjoyed reading your blog entry. Thanks for sharing!
-Rebecca
Campbell,
ReplyDeleteI really liked this article too, as I thought it really explained a different style of writing than what we have been using in school for the past few years. It offered insight to what makes writing effective, which is emotions and significant details. The author really brought a great explanation to the table, and even included ways that those techniques can be used in non-fiction.
I know you explained that you might not be a good writer with this type of emotion and sense being involved, but do you think this type of writing would be more enjoyable than standardized and straightforward writing is in most academic writing? Do you think it should/could be used more in academics, or be taught more extensively? I have never written much in fiction or using many of the techniques the author describes here, so I understand what you mean that you might not be great at writing in this style.
Joey Durant