Qualitative approaches to research have gained increased prominence in many contemporary health-related disciplinary fields. In such an era of increasing interest and recognition of the opportunities afforded by these approaches, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that any research approach encodes assumptions and values about the social world. Research perspectives have organizing effects on both the material gathered in research studies and on the way this material is represented as "data" or findings. Our understanding of qualitative research can be enhanced by exploring the frameworks, representations, and discourses that have positioned, and are positioning, us as readers of qualitative research texts. This article explores such positioning.
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