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Malin Åkerström

Malin Åkerström

Professor emerita

Malin Åkerström

Curiosity and Serendipity in Qualitative Research

Author

  • Malin Åkerström

Summary, in English

This presentation argues that we seldom speak of our findings in qualitative research as serendipitous, although we have splendid possibilities to make surprising findings. In order to enhance the chances and sharpen our analyses we have to read broadly but also pay attention to details in our data. We should avoid societal or scholarly conventionality, even be disobedient to recommendations, if

this blinds us to new meanings of our findings. The value of serendipitous findings lies in the fact that they diverge from conventionally held knowledge. Thus, we have to retain our curiosity, with the “strange intoxication” or passion that Max Weber wrote about in Science as Vocation.

Department/s

  • Sociology

Publishing year

2013

Language

English

Pages

10-18

Publication/Series

Qualitative Sociology Review

Volume

IX

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Lodz University

Topic

  • Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)

Keywords

  • serendipity
  • curiosity
  • qualitative methods

Status

Published

Research group

  • Kriminal- och socialvetenskapligt nätverk

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1733-8077