Making Qualitative Research Reports Less Boring

Abstract

In general, like Laurel Richardson, the author finds qualitative research reports boring to read. This article shows how the use of creative nonfiction techniques can make such reports less boring. Creative nonfiction involves writing nonfiction using fiction techniques. Creative nonfiction arose in the 1960s when it was called “The New Journalism.” The word creative in creative nonfiction might imply that it does not keep to the facts, but the aim of creative nonfiction is to tell the truth, and this certainly applies in its application to writing qualitative research reports. The article describes a number of fiction techniques and illustrates them with examples drawn from creative nonfiction writings.