Against the backdrop of ongoing political debates about what “counts” as research, interest in qualitative research is on the rise. The number of websites, books, and journals about qualitative research and software increases every day. However, faculty and students engaged in qualitative research at universities tend to work in isolation. There are very few university based centers designed to provide multidisciplinary support to faculty and students engaged in qualitative research.

By multidisciplinary I refer to a center that is open to the entire university community of graduate students and faculty, rather than focusing solely on the unique needs of a department, school, or college.

At Texas Woman’s University, faculty and students from numerous disciplines needed access to “high end” hardware and software. They also needed support. My dream was realized when we opened a center that could serve as a “hub”  to bring people together and to form a community of qualitative researchers.

I’ll write about my teaching and mentoring. I’ll share stories – some after the fact accounts of how one thing led to another until the stories move more to the current. The Center is always growing and changing. This blog will develop over time and be re-constructed as the Center undergoes changes, moreover, as my experiences as a blogger unfold.