Qualitative Researcher’s Dilemma: Which quotes should I leave out?! Five ways to decide
Qualitative reseachers often struggle when it comes to writing up their findings.
You don’t want to take that lovely quote out of your findings do you?
You just can’t bring yourself to delete it.
It makes you feel a bit bad, like you’re erasing the words of that person. Urgh.
But, you need to cut something out, because your findings chapter is just too long!
One of the most common challenges for qualitative researchers, especially those working with interview data, is determining how to balance the rich, insightful quotes from participants with your own analysis.
The tension comes from wanting to honour your participants by including their voices, while ensuring that your analysis remains clear and impactful. One of my Degree Doctor community members raised a great question about this recently:
“I’m writing my findings chapter based on interviews with participants. I’m struggling to work out how many direct quotes to include and how much to summarise or analyse myself. The quotes are often total gems, and I feel disrespectful not using them.”
This question gets at the heart of the delicate task of weaving participants' words into your narrative while also allowing your analytical voice to guide the reader. Let’s explore this challenge and go over five strategies you can use to tackle this.
Oh and by the way, if we’ve not met before, I’m Dr Elizabeth Yardley and I help PhD students get out of their own way, especially PhD students who are doing qualitative studies! Learn more about me and how I can help you here.
The things about quotes
I’ve found that qualitative PhD students tend to get really hung up on the whole “what quotes to include, which ones to leave out” thing, because they really genuinely care about their participants – not saying that quant researchers don’t – but qualitative researchers have a special relationship with their participants. Often they’ve spent a fair amount of time with them, these people have let you into their worlds and you don’t want to “let them down” by leaving any of their wonderful wisdom on the cutting room floor. But, you can’t put it all in, you can’t!
As a qualitative researcher, your job is to interpret and give meaning to the data you collect. The quotes from your participants are important because they add authenticity and bring their voices to life. They allow readers to engage with the material directly. However, too many quotes can overwhelm your analysis, making your findings feel more like a transcript than a critical piece of research.
At the other end of the spectrum, overly summarising or excluding quotes altogether can diminish the richness of the data. If your chapter is solely your voice and lacks participant quotes, you risk losing the depth that qualitative research offers. Striking the right balance means finding ways to let your participants' voices shine while maintaining your role as the analyst who provides the larger context and meaning behind those voices.
Guiding Principle: Quotes should serve the analysis
The key to determining how much of your participants’ words to include is to ensure that every quote serves a purpose in your analysis. As much as possible, each quote should do one of three things: either illustrate a key point, provide insight into a theme, or add nuance to your interpretation.
Rather than viewing quotes as standalone pieces, think of them as part of a dialogue with your analysis. The quote should advance your argument, not stall it.
Consider this: if a quote doesn’t directly support or enhance the point you’re making, you may be able to paraphrase or summarise it instead. You’re not diminishing its value by summarising - it’s about clarity and focus.
“While it’s tempting to include every “gem” of a quote, because every quote often does feel like a diamond, it’s important to be selective.”
Tip 1: Use quotes to illustrate key points
One of the best ways to balance quotes and analysis is to use participant quotes to illustrate specific themes in your analysis. Think of quotes as evidence, backing up the claims you’re making. The trick here is to select quotes that are representative of the themes you’re discussing.
For example, if your analysis identifies a theme of community support, you might write something like this:
“Participants often spoke about the vital role of community support during their recovery process. As one participant shared, ‘The support from my neighbours has been the backbone of my recovery.’”
This example is short but powerful. The quote directly illustrates the theme, and it’s accompanied by a brief explanation that ties it to your analysis. You’re not just throwing quotes into your chapter - you’re interpreting them and showing your reader why they matter.
Tip 2: Summarise where appropriate
In cases where multiple participants have expressed similar sentiments, it’s more efficient to summarise rather than quote each person individually. This allows you to capture the breadth of participants’ experiences while keeping your narrative focused.
For example, rather than quoting several participants, you could summarise:
“Many participants described feeling isolated during the pandemic, cut off from their usual social networks and routines.”
Then, you can include a single quote that encapsulates this feeling:
“As one participant explained, ‘I felt like I was living in a bubble, completely cut off from the world.’”
Why this works - you’ve summarised a general sentiment but still included a quote to humanise the theme and give the reader a sense of the participants’ voices. This strategy also prevents your chapter from becoming too quote-heavy, keeping the focus on your analysis.
Tip 3: Balance is key
When deciding how many quotes to include, aim for balance. A good rule of thumb is to include between one and four quotes per major theme or sub-theme. This provides enough participant input to support your analysis without overwhelming your voice as the researcher.
For instance, if you’re discussing access to healthcare, you might include one quote highlighting a positive experience and another showcasing a challenge:
“Some participants reported positive experiences accessing healthcare services: ‘I was able to get an appointment with my doctor within two days, which was a relief.’ However, others encountered significant obstacles, such as long wait times. As one participant shared, ‘I had to wait nearly three months just to see a specialist.’”
Including both positive and negative experiences adds nuance to your analysis. You’re giving voice to your participants, but you’re also guiding the reader through a balanced and thoughtful interpretation of the data.
Tip 4: Consider the flow
Sometimes, including too many quotes can disrupt the flow of your chapter, making it feel disjointed. To avoid this, try paraphrasing some responses while maintaining the participants’ intent.
Instead of quoting verbatim: “I had to wait three months to see a specialist,” you could write:
“Many participants reported long wait times for specialist appointments, with some waiting as long as three months.”
This technique allows you to present more data in a succinct way while keeping the narrative smooth. By paraphrasing, you’re able to convey the same information in fewer words, which can help keep your chapter concise and focused. You can still include direct quotes where they add the most value, but this approach ensures that your analysis remains front and center.
“Each quote should do one of three things: either illustrate a key point, provide insight into a theme, or add nuance to your interpretation.”
Tip 5: Respecting participants’ voices
While it’s important to balance quotes and analysis, there will be moments where a participant’s words are so powerful that they need to be included in full. When a quote truly captures the essence of a theme or conveys a particularly poignant sentiment, it’s worth letting the participant’s voice take center stage. For example.
One participant, a long-term resident of her neighborhood, shared the profound impact of the pandemic on her sense of community:
I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 30 years, and I’ve never felt so disconnected from my community as I did during the lockdown. It was like all the familiar faces just disappeared overnight. I used to bump into neighbors at the local shop, or we’d chat over the garden fence, but during those months, it felt like everyone had retreated into their own little bubbles. Even when restrictions started to ease, that sense of connection didn’t fully come back. People were still wary of each other, keeping their distance, and it felt strange to see someone but not be able to give them a hug or even stand close enough to have a proper conversation. In all my years living here, I’ve never felt such a sense of isolation—it was as if the physical distance translated into an emotional distance too, and that’s something I’m still grappling with now.
This quote is longer and more detailed, but it’s powerful because it encapsulates the emotional weight of the experience. Illustrating how isolation went beyond physical distancing and continued to affect relationships even after restrictions began to lift. It allows you to dive deeper into the theme of disconnection and community breakdown, giving you more material to analyse.
When you introduce longer quotes like this, explain why they are significant. For example:
“This quote encapsulates the profound impact of social isolation on long-term residents, highlighting how the pandemic disrupted deeply rooted connections.”
Ultimately, your analysis is what will determine the impact of your research. While it’s tempting to include every “gem” of a quote, because every quote often does feel like a diamond, it’s important to be selective.
Remember, your job as the researcher is to guide the reader through your findings and interpretations. Let your participants' words add depth and richness to your analysis without overshadowing your voice.
Need additional help writing up your qualitative findings?
Check out this blogpost!