The Qual Report: Exploring the Depths of Qualitative Research

In this episode, Ron speaks with Sarah Lewis about her book Practical Appreciative Inquiry and the broader shift from problem-focused thinking to strengths-based approaches in research and organizational practice. Drawing from her background in social work and positive psychology, Lewis explains how Appreciative Inquiry reframes challenges by focusing on what is already working and how those successes can be expanded. The conversation introduces key ideas such as resilience, “frustrated dreams,” and the use of peak experiences to guide meaningful change.

The discussion also turns to the evolving role of artificial intelligence in research and practice, raising important questions about how AI can support, augment, or potentially reshape qualitative inquiry. Together, they reflect on how human-centered approaches like Appreciative Inquiry can coexist with emerging technologies, emphasizing the importance of maintaining intentionality, ethics, and depth in an increasingly automated landscape.

Practical Appreciative Inquiry: A Toolkit for Applying Appreciative Inquiry to Organisational Challenges, Opportunities, and Aspirations offers readers a hands-on guide to applying strengths-based methods across a range of real-world contexts. The book integrates Appreciative Inquiry with related areas such as project management, diversity and inclusion, and organizational resilience, providing practical tools for fostering innovation, collaboration, and positive change. Readers can access the book through Wiley Online Library here.

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 episode, host Claude-Hélène Mayer sits down with Ronald Chenail for a thoughtful conversation about the experiences that have shaped his life and career. Ron reflects on growing up around a multi-generational dairy farm in Massachusetts and how those early lessons influenced his path into education, scholarship, administration, and family therapy.

Through Claude-Hélène’s questions, Ron shares stories from a career that unfolded organically rather than following a fixed plan. Teaching kindergarten, driving school buses, coaching football, running evening schools, and writing his first computer programs all contributed to how he came to think about people, systems, and the importance of context.

Together, they explore how family therapy reshaped not only Ron’s professional practice but also his understanding of leadership, organizations, and relationships. The conversation touches on narrative and systems thinking, the value of reframing problems, and staying open to new perspectives. The episode closes with Ron reflecting on legacy, meaning, and his hope to create spaces for reflection and healing grounded in land, history, and connection.

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: [email protected]

In this podcast episode, we unravel the ramifications of employing large language models like ChatGPT to bolster qualitative research. Orchestrated through a ‘Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow’ lens, we delve into the complex mechanics of LLMs, underscore the imperative for transparency, and explore the necessity for robust evaluative frameworks to assess the quality of generated output. Highlighting the principle of augmentation over automation in research methodologies, the dialogue cultivates a perspective of embracing technological advancements as a means to enrich the tapestry of qualitative research.

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.

In this podcast you will hear a conversation among Caroline Lenette, author of the book, Participatory Action Research: Ethics and Decolonization (see Review by Sally, called Thank you, Caroline in The Qualitative Report, 27(11), 2668-2670 https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2022.6063) and Sally St. George and Dan Wulff, Co-Editors-in-Chief of TQR. They discuss ethics and decolonizing principles and processes to move our research into more just and relevant spaces for participants, researchers, and consumers. In addition, Caroline eloquently shares ideas that she has added and refined since the publication of her book. We hope that you be stimulated and encouraged to stretch your own research and reporting of your 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 at TQR have published 114 articles in which authors have reported experiences of others as well as their own living and working in a Covid-19-affected world. In the third day opening plenary, as TQR’s Co-Editors-In-Chief and Managing Editor / Community Director we reflect on what we have learned from our authors, editors, reviewers, and conference participants, and share how the TQR community will continue to develop in a Post-Covid World.

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, our qualitative data analysis efforts to generate, collect, process, analyze, synthesize, display, and report play an important role in this new world. In our second day opening panel, three representatives from leading qualitative data analysis software companies share their pre-, peri-, and post-Covid experiences and offer insights on qualitative data analysis’ present and future.