The Role of Emotions in Qualitative Analysis: Researchers’ Perspectives

Authors

Hilary Lustick, University of Massachusetts, LowellFollow
Xiaoye Yang, University of Massachusetts, LowellFollow
Abeer Hakouz, University of Massachusetts, LowellFollow

Abstract

Qualitative research is an inherently social and relational endeavor that relies on and engages our emotions. Yet, researchers receive little guidance on how to engage emotions without being swayed by personal biases. Lustick (2021) developed a framework called “emotion coding” for systematically engaging thoughts and emotions in qualitative data analysis by asking what a chunk of data can teach us about ourselves, our participants, and our study. In this study, we interviewed 15 researchers who had tried using the emotion coding technique, about their impressions of this technique and the role of emotion in qualitative research overall. Framed by Goffman and Hochschild’s theories of emotion work, we find that emotions play a key role in researchers’ decisions throughout the research process, but that researchers are more likely to engage in emotion work (adjusting their feelings) when they perceive their participants hold a different level of privilege than they do. Emotion coding was a useful way to be more aware of their emotions and more intentional about how these emotions influence their findings and design decisions. We discuss implications for qualitative methodology.

Keywords

reflexivity, positionality, qualitative research, emotions, emotion work

Author Bio(s)

Hilary Lustick (https://orcid.org/.0000-0001-8292-6197) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Her research interests include restorative justice, free speech on the university campus, and the role of emotion in qualitative research. Please direct correspondence to hilary_lustick@uml.edu

Xiaoye Yang is a PhD candidate in Research, Evaluation, and Education in the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Her research interests include education evaluation, program evaluation, computer-assisted learning, and students' sense of belonging.

Abeer Hakouz is a PhD candidate in Research, Evaluation and Education in the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. A co-founder of EvalJordan, she has extensive experience evaluating educational leadership methods across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Her research interests include evaluation methods in educational leadership.

Publication Date

4-17-2024

Creative Commons License

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

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6232

Recommended APA Citation

Lustick, H., Yang, X., & Hakouz, A. (2024). The Role of Emotions in Qualitative Analysis: Researchers’ Perspectives. The Qualitative Report, 29(4), 1103-1124. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6232

ORCID ID

0000-0001-8292-6197