def METHOD_NAME(self):
    """Replaces the bulk data with the contents of the uploaded file, if any"""
    bulk_file = self.files.get("bulk_file", None)
    if bulk_file:
        cleaned_data = bulk_file.read().decode("utf-8")
    else:
        cleaned_data = self.cleaned_data.get("bulk_data", "")
    if self._is_bulk_data_empty(cleaned_data):
        raise forms.ValidationError("There was nothing to import")
    else:
        return cleaned_data