Applying a Mindfulness Practice to Qualitative Data Collection

Authors

Laura Lemon, University of AlabamaFollow

Abstract

Mindfulness, or paying attention on purpose in the present moment, can serve as a tool for qualitative researchers as they navigate the research setting and data collection. In this article, I provide an overview of mindfulness and suggest ways to incorporate mindfulness as a data collection tool. To demonstrate how to apply mindfulness to qualitative research, I share my personal experience in incorporating a mindfulness practice into data collection as part of a phenomenological study and what I learned in the process. In doing so, I offer an actual practice that researchers can incorporate into the research process as a means to attune them to the present moment to deepen self-reflexivity and enhance trustworthiness.

Keywords

Mindfulness, Qualitative Research, Methodologies, Data Collection

Author Bio(s)

Laura L. Lemon, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of public relations at the University of Alabama. She received her Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Tennessee. Her research interests include public relations, employee engagement, internal communication, social media, and mindfulness. She completed her M.A. in Communication at the University of Colorado Denver and a B.A. in Organizational Communication at Pepperdine University. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Dr. Lemon spent over seven years assisting non-profit organizations in Colorado with public relations initiatives. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: lemon@apr.ua.edu.

Acknowledgements

I would like acknowledge and thank the reviewers for their suggestions and changes, which greatly improved the final version of the manuscript. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Joan Rentsch who introduced me to the mindfulness practice, a practice that transformed both my research and my life.

Publication Date

12-21-2017

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2017.3161

Recommended APA Citation

Lemon, L. (2017). Applying a Mindfulness Practice to Qualitative Data Collection. The Qualitative Report, 22(12), 3305-3313. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2017.3161