As a long-standing conference, the “Canadian Qualitatives” has proven to be a rich source of encouragement and nurturance for qualitative researchers. During its two-and-a-half decades of existence the themes of the Conferences have shifted–sometimes acquiring a more explicit Symbolic-Interactionist approach–but a number of fundamental aspects have remained unchanged over the years.
First, the sessions are organized around general social processes (and not around substantive areas). This arrangement allows participants to taste, within each session, research results in a wide variety of empirical contexts, all united around a particular generic social process.
Second, the Conference strives to include both novice and experienced researchers in each session which allows the new researchers to come to terms with more advanced research, but also as a reminder for the established researchers of the importance of passing on the torch to newer generations. In our program we make no distinction based on a researcher’s experience, aside from ensuring that we have a diversity of experiences in each session.
Third, the Qualitatives does not use “discussants.” Each participant takes 20 minutes to give a presentation, followed by no more than 10 minutes of comments or questions from the audience. To allow maximum interchange, no PowerPoints (or similar formats) are used except for displaying images.
Fourth, we make it our goal to be hospitable. In this light, no one should feel left out. Our local arrangements and staff offer the opportunity for everyone to have meals with other participants.
As the reader may have surmised, there stands no academic or professional organization behind the Canadian Qualitatives (although there is a local organizing committee!). Each year a group of individuals declares (usually over the last lunch of the Conference) their interest in organizing the Conference in the following year(s). Participants (and organizers) leave the Conference with a renewed spirit and with an appreciation of the generous and constructive comments that have come their way.
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