Document details

How should we interpret silence in qualitative communication studies?

Author(s): Müller, Naíde ; Tavares, Patrícia ; Simão, João

Date: 2024

Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/45552

Origin: Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Subject(s): Qualitative research; Silence; Interaction; Interpretation; Communication


Description

Through an interdisciplinary literature review, based on empirical evidence, this research approaches different ways of interpreting silence(s) in three qualitative research methods—ethnography, focus groups and interviews—which, by their nature, are conducive to practices that resort to silence as units of meaning. The findings presented in this paper demonstrate how, in different data collection techniques, it is possible to rethink not only the whole conception of what silence is but also what silence can (or cannot) help to express. From a qualitative perspective in the social sciences and humanities, silence can in itself be a means of expression and a valid communication resource.

Document Type Journal article
Language English
Contributor(s) Veritati
CC Licence
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