

Rather to thickly describe social action is actually to begin to interpret it be recording the circumstances, meanings, intentions, strategies, motivations, and so on that characterize a particular episode. “Thick description is not simply a matter of amassing relevant detail.It presents detail, context, emotion, and the webs of social relationships that join persons to one another.” (Denzin, 1989, p. It goes beyond mere fact and surface appearances. “A thick description … does more than record what a person is doing.“Thick description refers to the researcher’s task of both describing and interpreting observed social action (or behavior) within its particular context.

Here are some scholarly definitions of the term ‘thick description’ from within the social sciences that you might want to cite for your essay or dissertation: It involves providing the background information necessary for understanding the relevance, meanings and intentions that underpin social interactions. Thick description involves more than just recording and describing something. The term ‘interpretation’ is important here. Thick description is defined as: the descriptive interpretation of complex cultural situations. References for your Essay What is Thick Description in Qualitative Research? (Definitions)
