Chapter 16: Journalling as a research tool

Papen, U. (2008) ‘Pregnancy starts with a literacy event: pregnancy and antenatal care as textually mediated experiences’, Ethnography, 9(3): 377–402. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1466138108094976

This paper is referred to in Chapter 16 in the book. Here it is in full for those of you who wish to read more.

Fincham, E.N. and Fellner, A.R. (2016) ‘Transitional practice: teachers and children in-between classrooms in one early childhood centre’, Journal of Early Childhood Research, 14(3): 310–23. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1476718X14552874

This article presents the findings of a study from the US, which explores children’s transitions between classrooms within the same children’s centre. Over time, a group of practitioner-researchers working in the children’s centre each used a journal to document their thoughts and feelings about the children’s experience as they transition between rooms. These journal extracts were the source of analysis.

Richardson, L. and Adams St Pierre, E. (2005) ‘Writing: a method of inquiry’, in N. Denzin and Y. Lincoln (eds), The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, 3rd edn. London: SAGE.

This chapter has many useful activities which could help you to think creatively about writing as a researcher. It is not an ‘easy’ read for a novice researcher perhaps but well worth the effort.