In the beginning of the year I read a small book, easy to carry around, with brief texts, easy to read in a coffee break, but did not remember to make any notes: Interpretation in Qualitative Research – Key concepts in Qualitative methods. The reason why I found, rather surprisingly, a book on key concepts of qualitative methods in my hands, was that we contributed a small text to the collection with Pilvi Porkola. Our concept was “Performance” (pp 75-79), although performance as research would have been a more apt title. When trying to remember my reading experience the two texts on diffraction seemed most useful; “Diffraction” by Vivienne Bozalek and Michelins Zembylas (pp 32-34) and “Diffractive analysis” by Kathryn Storm and Shakhnoza Kayumova (pp 35-39).
 
The first one focuses on reflexivity, diffraction and interpretation, and tries to understand and even overcome the differences. “Although diffraction and reflection differ both as methodologies and as practices, being grounded in different ontologies, epistemologies, and ethics, there is some continuity in relation to certain forms of interpretation.” (p 34).
 
The second one focuses on diffractive analysis and interpretation as a practical methodology. ” As a methodological orientation, then, the theoretical ideas and goals of diffraction are quite clear. What this looks liken translated into actual methods and analytic processes, however, varies widely (and should, since diffraction is fundamentally about complexity, difference, hybridity and emergence from local conditions). (p 36) They mention diffractive studies that “think-with” data, others are reading data “through” each other to produce interpretive pattern of difference, and many are decentering the human while deliberately including the researcher as part of the process. They note that “diffractive methods enable us to examine how boundaries of differences are produced in our knowledge-making practices” and quote Barad’s point that “knowing [does] not come from standing at a distance and representing but rather from direct material engagement with the world” (Barad 2007, 49, quoted on p 38).
 
A handbook to return to, when brief clarifying or explanatory quotes are needed…
 
 
 
Karin Murris & Mirka Koro (eds.) Interpretation in Qualitative Research – Key concepts in Qualitative methods, New York: Routledge 2025