Composing Qualitative Research, Chapter 1

I have often said that the work student affairs staff members do is similar to farming. We spend a great deal of time preparing the fields by mentoring, correcting, suggesting, training, advising and so on. This is 95% of our work. Every once in a while we get the rewards of a bloom. However, if we are in need of seeing blooms this probably isn't the field for that individual because the blooms are few and far between. Our job is to plant. We are planters, not gatherers. So, every day I go to work and the satisfaction must come from the preparing the soil, fertilizing the soil, tilling, and remembering that the soil holds a precious seed.

Similar to the example above, the authors propose that one way we may communicate as emerging scholars desiring to publish, is to use a metaphor. The authors write: "This literary devise is used both to portray the essential properties of her proposed model and to distinguish it from the prevailing model (p. 21).

I have enjoyed Chapter 1 of this book because it very concisely puts things in perspective: when your work is cited, then you are legit. Until them, keep hoping, researching, and writing because you aren't hard-core yet.

I liked the compare and contrast the authors did for the scientific writing versus "story" writing. In the scientific I've found it's easier because you simply plug your "stuff" into the established formula. In "story" or qualitative it is like a roller-coaster-you get in, buckle up and are in for the ride-no controlling really, the roller-coaster takes you where it will and you must simply feel the thrills.