About the Project

Current publishing practices make reporting qualitative research difficult. The lit review-methods-findings model makes most qualitative projects seem more linear in their execution than they actually were. Formatting aside, there is often not enough room in traditional publications to describe in accurate detail the research. Qualitative projects are often long term and ongoing, and trying to fit adequate accounts of the process into four pages is basically impossible.

So qualitative scholars find ways to communicate our processes shorthand. We cut out much of the context and focus on a few research activities. We make due. But lack of clarity about the research process has consequences. Most notably, it becomes challenging to teach qualitative research because the richer narratives rarely make it into the articles.

Happily, we live in an era with alternate ways of disseminating knowledge. The mission of Qualitative Backstage is simple: to provide an online forum where scholars can share the backstage stories of their qualitative research projects. We provide this forum as a resource for researchers and students who aspire to hone their qualitative expertise.