Exercising the Mind: A Review of Stretching Exercises for Qualitative Researchers

In this third version of Stretching Exercises for Qualitative Researchers, Janesick (2011) continues to refine and expand upon ways in which qualitative researchers--both new to the field and experienced--can extend and hone a number of skills essential to being an effective researcher. This book will be helpful to those wishing to learn more about and practice the art of qualitative research. Janesick combines valuable information and practical exercises in this text, which will assist in the development of skills essential to qualitative research, including interviewing, observing, journaling, narrating, analyzing, interpreting, and collaborating. This new edition includes a discussion on using technology in qualitative research and interviewing, new exercises, and additional discussion on data analysis and interpretation. Key Words: Qualitative Research, Dewey, Photography, Creativity, Stretching, Observation. In this third version of Stretching Exercises for Qualitative Researchers, Janesick (2011) continues to refine and expand upon ways in which qualitative researchers--both new to the field and experienced--can expand and hone a number of skills essential to being an effective researcher. This book combines valuable information, as well as practical exercises, to assist in the development of interviewing, observing, journaling, narrating, analyzing, interpreting, and collaborating skills, which Janesick refers to as "habits of mind" (p. 1), as discussed by Dewey (see Dewey, 1910, for example). These habits, Janesick argues, are essential for the qualitative researcher to develop his or her most important tool: oneself. Throughout this text, Janesick makes the case that these habits--the observation habit, the narrative writing habit, the habit of analysis, the habit of interpretation, the habit of reflective journaling, the habit of creativity, and the habit of collaboration--need to be exercised, need to be stretched on a very frequent, if not daily, basis, and will help "train the mind, the eye and the soul together" (p. 3) to develop and refine these techniques. As Janesick reminds her readers: "the qualitative researcher is the research instrument, [and] one has to sharpen that instrument by training the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the mouth and body to communicate" (p. xvii). The concept of stretching exercises as a means of developing qualitative research skills, Janesick (2011) notes, developed out of and has been influenced by her background in dance, yoga, and meditation. About this central concept, Janesick tells the reader that "[s]tretching implies that you are moving from a static point to an active one. It means that you are going beyond the point at which you now stand" (p. 2). Indeed, in this book, readers are encouraged to actively participate in a number of exercises to stretch their thinking, their abilities, their skills, and their creativity, which will take them past the point at which they currently stand. Janesick also encourages readers to make these habits of mind a practice, and explains: The word practice is used to describe yoga and meditation as a practice. This resonates with qualitative research as a practice in itself. Qualitative research skills and techniques need development on a daily basis. This is like practicing yoga postures called asanas. Meditation is a reflective practice akin to the thinking time qualitative researchers need to make sense of the data collected. (p. xvi-xvii). As this definition implies, developing these habits and adopting them as a practice takes time, effort, reflection, and intention, as well as the willingness to see the old in new ways and to go beyond where you are currently standing. As mentioned earlier in this review, Janesick's (2011) work has been influenced by the work of Dewey (1910) and, specifically, his writing "on education and art as experience, aesthetics, and habits of mind" (p. …