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Research

1. What are your root metaphors as a therapist?
If you "interpret" as a therapist, explore types of research which are based on a similar metaphor (e.g., hermeneutics or phenomenology). If you are a "story- er" as a therapist, try looking at narrative analysis, narratology, literary theory, or literary criticism for ways to understand, challenge, or change your ways of therapy (and research). Try choosing these approaches to inquiry based on a sense of coherence: Does it make sense to examine my work this way? Is there a good fit between this particular lens and my work? Will I be persuaded by the results of such a juxtaposition?

2. Have you shopped around in the research market?
There are probably more research methods and styles than there are researchers. If you are basing a "Research is not for me" position on a familiarity with only quantitative research or scientific qualitative research, you don't get out very often. Try Nick Smith's (1981) book, Metaphors for Evaluation: Sources of New Methods, for a starter and then go from there. If after you have examined twenty or thirty methods or analyses (e.g., ethnographies, ethnomethodology, ethnonursing, conversation analysis, discourse analyses, frame analyses, case study, participant observation, thematic analysis, feminist critiques, etc.) and you still can not find anything relevant to your practice, see Provocation 3.

3. If "research" is not your thing, have you tried "reflection"?
If the metaphor of "research" is not informative to you or your work, take a look at Donald Schön's books, The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action (1983) and Educating the Reflective Practitioner: Toward a New Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions (1987). Both works suggest ways in which the professional (i.e., both researcher and clinician) can study and reflect on their style of professional knowledge and how that context shapes their work and vice versa. Another take on this...