Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons^™

Social Fiction: Leavy Pioneers A Genre, Christine Sleeter

The Qualitative Report

In this article Sleeter details how Patricia Leavy pioneered the genre of social fiction. She details the method and the publication of the landmark Social Fictions book series, the first and only series of its kind. Sleeter reviews a handful of Leavy’s acclaimed novels, her own fiction, and other titles in the series. She explains how and why social fiction is significant for the qualitative research community.

Middle Age Blues: A Heuristic Response To Patricia Leavy’S Novel Film Blue, Sandra L. Faulkner

The Qualitative Report

In this personal narrative, the author discusses how good art can be a heuristic for creative practice using Leavy’s novel, Film Blue, as an example. The author uses ekphrastic poetry and themes in Film Blue to examine negotiations of identity as someone who is solidly middle aged and winging their way through how they can be who they want and need to be outside of culturally stifling messages about middle aged womxn. The author concludes that we can turn melancholy into a state of creativity. And perhaps instead of middle age being a blue period, it can be orange …

A Full-Fat Remix Of Low-Fat Love Stories, Tabitha Chilton, Gioia Chilton

The Qualitative Report

Low-Fat Love Stories is a book coauthored by Patricia Leavy and Victoria Scotti. The book is a collection of short stories and visual arts based directly on women’s interview transcripts. In this article, the authors respond to Low-Fat Love Stories through text and visual art. The authors show how artistic analysis inspires personal reflection.

Writing Research Into Fiction, Jessica Smartt Gullion

The Qualitative Report

Qualitative methodology has evolved to include all sorts of epistemologies that positivism excludes. We have seen an increase in the use of arts-based methods as ways of gathering, analyzing, and writing research. This includes the genre of fiction as research. In fiction as research, the researcher gathers and analyzes data, but writes the findings from them to the audience as fiction. This is often done to expand the audience of readers and include people who might not normally read (or have access to) research reports. In this article, I discuss my own use of social fiction and highlight the contributions …

Patricia Leavy’S Spark As A Novel And Metaphor For Creative Interdisciplinary Research, Ashleigh Watson

The Qualitative Report

Spark by Patricia Leavy follows Sociology Professor Peyton Wilde as she travels to remote Iceland to participate in a mysterious scholarly seminar. Set in a moody grand manor with an enigmatic host and an eclectic cast of characters, the story blends intellectual intrigue with personal discovery and highlights the strength of Leavy’s social fiction: her characterisation, her use of motifs, and her attention to questions at the heart of scholarly work. This article reflects on the research tensions, interpersonal differences and everyday materialities that animate the story and raise valuable questions for interdisciplinary collaboration. For those interested in fiction and …

The Impact Of Patricia Leavy’S Sociological Fiction, J. E. Sumerau

The Qualitative Report

This article examines the impact of Patricia Leavy’s Sociological Fiction upon students, professors, and other readers. Utilizing examples from over seven years teaching and writing sociological fiction works at a private liberal arts university in the southeastern United States, I illustrate and discuss some ways Leavy’s works facilitate (1) students finding themselves and sociology as a field of study; (2) professors navigating personal and professional questions during the life course; and (3) readers, regardless of identity, navigating self-development, reflection, and sociological inquiry as a potential interest or commitment. In so doing, I suggest examples of sociological fiction by Leavy and …

Shiny New Beginnings: Reaching For Celestial Bodies In Romance And Research, Alexandra C. H. Nowakowski

The Qualitative Report

This commentary explores a series of social fiction novels about relationships through the lens of ethnographic research. It amplifies the lessons about love and life from Dr. Patricia Leavy’s Celestial Bodies series focused around two people with complex trauma finding kinship and healing with one another after a chance meeting. In the process, it uplifts the rigor and uniqueness of Leavy’s methods in translating findings from many years of observational research with people in different kinds of relationships to the social fiction format whose name she coined herself. In journeying through a shared life with main protagonists Tess Lee and …

Patricia Leavy: Social Fiction Icon, Alexandra Lasczik

The Qualitative Report

This article explores Patricia Leavy’s social fiction novels. The article details how and why Leavy’s work has been a source of inspiration, how the development of “social fiction” broadened the arts-based research landscape, and how this works makes possible new forms of creative research. Lasczik then reviews in detail much of Leavy’s extensive fiction catalog, her use of different genres, the messages embedded in her novels, and what those novels mean to readers.

Accessibility Disclosure Statements: Best Practices For Documenting Inclusive And Accessible Web-Based Research Design, Alicia Mason, Elizabeth Spencer, Pan Liu, Kristen Livingston, Sakshi Bhati, Angela Ashmore, Tristan A. Spencer, Lauren Shepard

Faculty Submissions

Accessibility disclosure is a core principle of the Project IRIS Best Practice Framework. This instructional resource-- Accessibility Disclosure Statements: Best Practices for Documenting Inclusive Web-Based Research Design-introduces options for reporting accessible web-based research design efforts in scholarly and professional publications. The three forms of accessibility disclosure statements are introduced: summary statements, reports of analysis--both general and specific-, and detailed process descriptions. Each of these strategies including terms, conceptual definitions, and examples are provided. The instructional resource may be of interest to undergraduate and graduate course instructors teaching research methods courses in a variety of social science disciplines.

Poverty Among New York City’S Most Vulnerable: 2000-2022, Juan Dolores Cerna, Suleyma Vergara-Tapia

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

This report examines the trends of poverty in New York City between the years 2000 and 2022, focusing on economically vulnerable groups such as women, children, and older adults

Methods

This report uses data for the years 2000, 2012, and 2022 released by the U.S. Census Bureau and harmonized for public use by IPUMS USA at the University of Minnesota. See Steven Ruggles, Sarah Flood, Ma hew Sobek, Daniel Backman, Annie Chen, Grace Cooper, Stephanie Richards, Renae Rodgers, and Megan Schouweiler. IPUMS USA: Version 15.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2024. https://www.ipums.org/projects/ipums-usa/d010.V15.0

Discussion

From 2000 to 2022, New York City experienced …

Editorial: On Social Fiction And The 2025 Special Issue Of The Qualitative Report, Patricia Leavy

The Qualitative Report

In this editorial Patricia Leavy situates her work in the context of writing as inquiry. She discusses coining the term “social fiction and her fictional story-worlds. The piece ends with an invitation to the story.

Celebrating Dr. Patricia Leavy’S Body Of Work: An Introduction To This Special Issue, Laurel Richardson, U. Melissa Anyiwo

The Qualitative Report

In this article Laurel Richardson and Melissa Anyiwo detail Patricia Leavy’s contributions to qualitative inquiry. After providing background information, they provide a thematic look at Leavy’s contribution in the areas of innovation and trailblazing, paradigm shifts, border crossing, creativity and artistry, and social justice and humanitarianism. They conclude with remarks about Leavy’s enduring legacy in the field of qualitative research.

Enhancing Learning In The Uae: Exploring Chatgpt As A More Knowledgeable Other (Mko) In Science And Non-Science Courses In The Uae, Nagaletchimee Annamalai, S. Abdellatif, Gaforov Ikboljon Uktamovich, Bilal Mohammed Zakarneh

The Qualitative Report

This study examines the role of ChatGPT as a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) in educational settings, encompassing both scientific and non-scientific courses. A qualitative case study involved 20 educators from higher education institutions. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews, and the collected data was subsequently analysed using the thematic analysis suggested by Braun and Clarke (2006). The findings emphasize the significance of validating educational resources and maintaining control over their usage to mitigate issues related to plagiarism and uphold academic integrity. ChatGPT serves as an MKO by guiding learners in enhancing their technical writing skills and aiding in information …

Clark Moustakas’ Husserl, Thomas Byrne

The Qualitative Report

This paper critically examines Clark Moustakas’s presentation of Husserl in Phenomenological Research Methods. I argue that Moustakas’s account misrepresents two core elements of Husserl’s phenomenology – intentionality and the transcendental reduction – in ways that directly compromise the foundations of qualitative phenomenological research. First, Moustakas treats intentional meaning as something private, located within the individual, rather than as given in the world. This misreading severs the connection between experience and a shared world of meaning, leaving qualitative researchers unable to clarify participants’ accounts beyond private expression. Second, Moustakas reduces the transcendental reduction to introspective reflection, overlooking its function as a …

Experiencing The First Year Of Covid-19 Pandemic: Feelings And Thoughts Of Emerging Adults, Miljana Spasić Šnele Phd, Ivana Janković Phd, Jelisaveta Todorović Phd

The Qualitative Report

COVID-19 brought many changes in the daily functioning of many individuals, including emerging adults, due to social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and the closure of public institutions, thus representing a threat to physical and mental health. We investigated how emerging adults felt regarding their experience during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were also interested in what they had been thinking about in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic one year after its declaration. To answer these questions, we conducted a qualitative study. The participants included 51 students aged 19 to 28 years old. Conducting thematic analysis six themes related …

“But How Do I Start?” A Beginner’S Guide To Your First Qualitative Project, Jason B. Whiting Phd, Bria Nicole Davies

The Qualitative Report

Many new qualitative researchers feel overwhelmed and struggle to find direction in existing books and articles about qualitative methodology. Qualitative methods have a long history that includes different philosophies, practices, and methods, and there are endless ways to interpret and use these tools within these traditions. This article introduces basic qualitative methods with the intent to guide a first-time researcher through a first social science research project, such as a thesis or dissertation. It frames the process as a five-step journey with guidelines to follow and additional resources that can be accessed related to each phase. Although the craft of …

Community Safety Investments: Violence Prevention Initiatives Across New York State, Rebecca Balletto, Jeffrey A. Butts, Sheyla A. Delgado, Justice D. Evans, Gina Moreno, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Kathleen A. Tomberg, Michael Rempel, René Ropac

Publications and Research

At the request of New York State's Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), researchers from John Jay College of Criminal Justice conducted an assessment of over a decade of state-funded violence prevention initiatives implemented at the county level. Beginning in 2010 and expanding significantly after 2021, these initiatives were adopted by nearly two dozen counties by 2014. Research teams from the Research and Evaluation Center (JohnJayREC) and the Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ) analyzed county-level trends in serious and violent crime between 2010 and 2023 to assess the potential impact of these investments on community safety outcomes. The study aimed …

Chatgpt Didn’T Write This: Evaluating The Impact Of Llms With A Case Study In Grading Cuny Language Immersion Program Student Essays, Benjamin Inbar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study evaluates the capabilities and limitations of large language models (LLMs), specifically OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o, in grading essays from students in the City University of New York’s Language Immersion Program. The program serves English language learners with diverse linguistic and demographic backgrounds, offering intensive language instruction to prepare students for academic success in college. Using a dataset of 30 pre- and post-program essays scored by program instructors and ChatGPT-4o under three paradigms, this research explores the alignment between human and AI-generated scores across five rubric-based competency areas. Findings reveal that ChatGPT-4o aligns moderately with human grading, with the strongest agreement …

Minor Role Iii: Youth Under Age 18 And New York City Violence, Jeffrey A. Butts, Gina Moreno

Publications and Research

Researchers at the John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center analyzed NYPD arrest data from 2006 to 2024 to assess trends in felony assault, felony robbery, and felony weapon offenses across age groups. The study examined whether New York’s “Raise the Age” law, which shifted most youth under 18 out of adult court, influenced violent crime patterns. Although arrests rose across all age groups following the COVID-19 pandemic, trends among youth under 18 generally mirrored those of older age groups. The findings suggest no clear evidence that the law caused a youth-specific increase in violent crime.

Critical Components Of Successful Cross-Race Mentoring Relationships: Perspectives Of Mentees And Mentors, Sylvia L. Mendez, Jennifer A. Tygret, Anneke Bruwer, Comas Haynes

The Qualitative Report

This intrinsic case study (Stake, 1995) explores the critical components of successful cross-race mentoring relationships from the mentees and mentors involved in the Increasing Minority Presence within Academia through Continuous Training (IMPACT) mentoring program. Stakeholders across academia need to better understand what facilitates successful cross-race mentoring, due to the underrepresentation of senior and emeriti faculty of color in engineering. Interviews with 16 Black engineering faculty mentees and 14 primarily White emeriti mentors were analyzed inductively and resulted in three interconnected themes: (a) self-awareness and empathy create trusting, honest conversations; (b) mentee career advancement must be core to the relationship; and …