Many qualitative researchers have puzzled over the question of how to write more engaging, more communicative texts. “Why” we write, however, is not often part of our scholarly conversations. In this article, I examine the writing process and position writing as a learning tool which enables what researchers know about themselves and their topics. I engage with writing as a product, process, form of invention, and instrument of self-reflection. Ultimately, I suggest that writing should be included more intentionally in our research methods courses. Writing is not simply what we “do,” but also how we become better writers and scholars.
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