Editorial

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Qualitative Research Journal, Volume 13, Issue 1.

Welcome to the first issue of QRJ for 2013. The papers in this issue are located in a wondering and wandering of taken-for-granted assumptions of research practices that underpin qualitative research endeavours. They illustrate respectful engagements that draw on in-depth encounters, the vitality of reflexive knowing, the exploration of vulnerability in selfhood and professional life-worlds. The authors in this issue face-up to the challenges and opportunities for reknowing and reconfiguring research orientations and practices and Yellend critically reflects on what constitutes a successful research career in academe and considers the pitfalls associated with a change of research focus in an increasingly contoured neo-liberal, market driven,contemporary research landscape. Her narrative is written to “resonate with audiences experiencing similar contexts in contemporary academic life” and akin to Green's paper speaks to the substantive understanding that is afforded from and located within an “insiders view”. Wilson, Saggers and Wildy take a narrative approach to reconsider young people's experiences of progress in residential alcohol and draw on “young people's own stories of progress” to“broaden knowledge of ‘what works’ in residential youth alcohol and other drug treatment services”. Foster's in his paper asks the question: […] how do fictional representations of male teachers impact on the construction and practice of teachers in the development of their professional identities? He explores how fictional narratives can help envision ways of constructing teaching professionals identities and Gair ponders about why some stories might be untellable arguing for the moral and ethical case for counter narratives to be told that challenge and confront sedimented master narratives. The challenge of perspective in writing about research from within a discursive community of online feminist bloggers is taken up Shaw and Duggan's study of a-synchronous on-line blogging draws on Butler's notion of performativity and a Deleuzean understanding of the “virtual” and the “real” to position a methodological context. The educational affordances of dyslexic students in a digitally mediated social network draws on what Barden terms a “fledgling connected methodology” and the importance and “necessity of adopting a reflexive,experiential, flexible methodological approach” when dealing with the complexities of inquiry. The ways in which meaningful and nuanced explorations of complex experiences cannot always be conveyed through textual representations is explored by Lenette who considers a methodological significance of visual ethnography in refugee narratives. The final paper by Tabak examines the applicability of computer-mediated communication as way to overcome participant resistance when researching sensitive issues.

I hope that you enjoy the papers in QRJ 13.1 and I look forward to receiving your engaging methodological experiences for inclusion in future issues.

Mark VicarsCollege of Education, Victoria University, Melbourne