Providing English and native language quotes in qualitative research: A call to action

Nurs Open. 2022 Jan;9(1):168-174. doi: 10.1002/nop2.1115. Epub 2021 Nov 1.

Abstract

Background: When publishing qualitative research in international journals, researchers studying non-English-speaking participants provide quotes in English language. This is an issue of increasing concern given the need to be rigorous to represent a diversity of participants within their context, beyond how language (alone) situates them.

Aim: To argue for providing English and native language quotes in qualitative research reports.

Design: Discussion.

Methods: This paper is based on the literature on use of quotes and translation in qualitative research and authors' experiences of publishing qualitative research.

Results: Provision of native and English language quotes may allow for greater transparency of findings, thereby reflecting that the researchers adequately captured the socially and culturally dependent experiences of participants.

Conclusions: Presentation of findings with eloquent quotes serves as the gateway into the sociocultural experiences of individuals. We argued against the norm of providing translated quotes in qualitative reports and build a case for the provision of native as well as English language quotes to promote cross-cultural understanding.

Keywords: methodology; qualitative research; quotation; research methods; research reporting.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Language*
  • Publishing
  • Qualitative Research
  • Translating*
  • Translations