The Qual Report: Exploring the Depths of Qualitative Research

This podcast explores the unique editorial philosophy of TheQualitative Report (TQR), focusing on the "collaborativeconversation" that occurs between authors and reviewers to improve research reporting. We dive into the "TQR brand" of review, which prioritizes politeness and helpfulness to provide authors with hope and motivation rather than just evaluation. Listeners will learn how to build a "mosaicof coherence" across their manuscripts by carefully aligning titles, abstracts, and methodologies. The episodes offer practical guidance on avoiding the "in-between" paper and using structural tools like the "five-sentence essay" for abstracts. We also discuss the importance of the "self-of-the-researcher" section to establish transparency and the three-step process for reporting results—defining the quality, providing the data, and offering the "testimony" of analysis. Our goal is to maintain a "supportive, yet firm posture" that helps qualitative research "shine" for an international audience while mentoring the next generation of academics. This is an AI generated podcast using the TQR Ready Review Comments guide. View the TQR Ready Review Comments Document here.

In this TQR Podcast episode, Co-Editor-in-Chief Dr. Ronald J. Chenail speaks with Professor Claude-Hélène Mayer, author of Positive Autoethnography: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. Together, they explore how autoethnography has evolved beyond personal narrative into a therapeutic, transformative approach rooted in anthropology, psychology, family therapy, and positive psychology. They discuss writing as a healing tool, the role of turning points in personal narratives, the interplay between cultural contexts and identity, and how autoethnography can be used with clients, students, and researchers. The conversation also highlights TQR’s upcoming special issue on Therapeutic Positive Autoethnography and related programming at the TQR 2026 Conference. Contact: TQR@nova.edu

In this podcast, Marilyn Lichtman talks to Marti Snyder about the 4th edition of her book, Qualitative Research in Education: A User's Guide. The podcast begins with a brief historical context about Marilyn's experience with qualitative research and TQR. Next, she describes what inspired her to write this fourth edition and what readers can expect. She discusses the various types of qualitative research and what defines quality and rigor as well as current issues in education and how qualitative research methods can be used to address them. Finally, she shares her thoughts about technology and the future of qualitative research.

Having problems crafting your research paper’s introduction or perhaps a review of the literature? No worries, Sally, Dan, and Ron provide helpful writing tips and guidance from TQR’s Ready Review Comments resource. You may access the TQR Ready Review Resource below: https://sites.nova.edu/tqr/files/2021/05/TQR_Ready_Review_Comments_Compliments_050721.pdf 

Since 2019, we have been living in a world-wide pandemic of Covid with the hope soon we may see the passing of the disease. Now, in 2023, as the virus continues to affect our lives, we as qualitative researchers know we have an important role to play in exploring, describing, analyzing, interpreting, and criticizing this new world. In our first day opening panel, three leading qualitative researchers share their pre-, peri-, and post-Covid experiences and offer insights on qualitative research’s present and future.

Ron Chenail and Dan Wulff interview Thalia Mulvihill and Raji Swaminathan about their new book Collaborative Qualitative Research (2023, Guilford). Thalia and Raji discuss their particular style of collaborating as co-authors in their writing projects. They discuss the research challenges of trying to build and support collaborative relationships with community research partners/participants while at the same time upholding established academic practices that may be very foreign to non-academic communities. They discuss the challenges of living and working with uncertainties that are endemic to collaborative projects and how collaborative approaches to qualitative research impact the types of questions that are possible and preferred. The conversation touches upon the importance of interpersonal skills of listening and blending viewpoints/agendas when embarking on collaborative research journeys. The podcast ends with a discussion of the challenges of language translation in conducting and reporting collaborative qualitative projects. The ideas explored in this conversation underscore the idea that “research is not innocent”—qualitative researchers have always known that research is a series of choices/decisions that reflect viewpoints, received knowledges, and power. Thalia and Raji’s book highlights the responsibilities of collaborative qualitative researchers to honor the multiple collaborations that are part of all research projects.

Welcome to The Qual Report! In our first official episode, we are joined by TQR Community Director Adam Rosenthal and Co-Editor-in-Chief's Ron Chenail, Sally St. George, and Dan Wulff. Join us as we touch on the beginnings of the Qualitative Repot journal back in the 90s. Ron takes us on his voyage through the 90’s and into the 2000’s. We explore what it was like to start an online journal and how Sally and Dan became part of the journey.