Think of this course as an expedition where we travel through the life of a qualitative data collection project (focusing on interviews, including individual and dyadic interviews, and focus groups), defining and gathering the tools we will necessarily engage along the way. We will use two sets of tools to direct course content. First, we introduce ResearchTalk’s set of *10 engagement strategies which provide you with a checklist and action plan as you collect data. Second, we suggest **Sort and Sift, Think and Shift qualitative analysis tools to integrate when you create and execute your qualitative data collection projects.

The secret to well done qualitative data collection is asking the right questions to the right people in the right way at the right time. That process begins as curiosity about a topic emerges. At this point, we set out to understand what experts are publishing and/or doing in the field. It is critical that we define and introduce our understanding of that work and that we begin contextualizing and aligning our efforts according to this knowledge.

At this stage, before data collection begins, we can introduce qualitative memoing to document what we know about our topic and where our work will fit with other work in the field. Two memos to facilitate this process are titled “What I know so far” and “The Space I’m driving into.” Introducing these analysis tools early in a project keeps our minds active and places us in thoughtful engagement with how our work aligns with the work of our colleagues throughout the life of our projects.

As we begin to shape our data collection protocols, the logic of topic monitoring helps us as we are preparing the conversations we facilitate with participants, paying thoughtful attention to opening data collection episodes and asking questions throughout. Tools like diagramming help us visualize the overall complete story that is built during data collection and entertain different options for how shifting and adjusting topics throughout might flow.

As we design and carry out our data collection, our actions are both deliberate and generative. We intentionally remain mindful of the work of others and what we learn as the project evolves. During each data collection episode we pay careful attention to allow us to follow participants’ unfolding narratives while keeping them interested and involved in their own story telling. Closely following their words allows us to move toward closing each conversation in a way that moves smoothly from what has been said so far to an ending that brings closure to both content and the emotional tenor of the interaction.

In between data collection episodes, and after all data are collected, we continue processing what we have learned and how that material fits with the work of others engaging with our topic.

Using integrative analysis tools like story boarding (specifically episode profiling) helps us remain engaged in a way that increases the likelihood that our final presentations represent a hybrid story of our participants’ lived experiences and our professional expertise.

*Each engagement strategy is identified throughout this description with bolded font (e.g., understanding)

**Each qualitative analysis tool is identified throughout this description with italicized font (e.g., memoing)