795: PDW: Visualizing Qualitative Data and Theory 2.0 (12512)

Building on last year’s successful inaugural PDW, this interactive session tackles the challenge of how scholars might utilize visualization to analyze and present complex, multi-level qualitative data and theory in a compelling and parsimonious way. This year, we will present a newly developed framework that imagines visualizing qualitative data and theory as a collective creative process. We articulate the particular challenges and opportunities arising at different phases of this process and offer pragmatic solutions drawn from lived experience and the design field. Taken together, we seek to create a space for discovery and elaboration around questions such as: what are potential untapped opportunities to utilize visualization to drive theory development in qualitative research? What common challenges arise when scholars attempt to use visualization to communicate their emergent theory to collaborators, research community, editors, and reviewers? What unique nuances need to be considered when attempting to visualize time and temporality or iterative, intersecting, and recursive processes? What are possible new best practices that could be adopted? Bridging both theory and practice, this hands-on PDW will: (1) strengthen participants’ awareness of the challenges and opportunities of visualizing as a fundamental qualitative methodological practice; (2) offer participants the opportunity to receive feedback on their work-in-progress visualizations and to learn from others’ visualization efforts; (3) articulate new best practices and technological tools available for designing more effective visualizations; and (4) forge a community of scholars interested in visualization as a subject of theoretical and methodological inquiry.

The first part of our workshop will involve presentations by our organizers and presenters around challenges and best practices related to qualitative data visualization. The second part, Small Group Working Sessions, will offer participants the opportunity to present and/or to learn from others' work-in-progress visualizations, feedback, and constructive discussion. Both parts are open to all participants of the AoM Annual Meeting. Everyone is invited to bring their latest version of a work-in-progress visualization to our PDW session. (Rough sketches and drafts are great!) Both paper and digital versions are welcome--the goal is to be able to easily share it with others at a round table. While not required, we invite participants seeking feedback on their work-in-progress visualizations to "pre-register/apply" for the PDW via this link: https://forms.gle/JJpoY2tDpqNgJDvG8.