Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers

By Jane Lewis and Jane Beaglehole Ritchie

Book Overview

Why use qualitative methods? What kinds of questions can qualitative methods help you answer? How do you actually do rigorous and reflective qualitative research in the real world?

Written by a team of leading researchers associated with NatCen Social Research (the National Centre for Social Research) this textbook leads students and researchers through the entire process of qualitative research from beginning to end - moving through design, sampling, data collection, analysis and reporting. In this fully revised second edition you will find:
A practical account of how to carry out qualitative research which recognises a range of current approaches and applications A brand new chapter on ethics A brand new chapter on observational research Updated advice on using software when analysing your qualitative data New case studies which illustrate issues you may encounter and how problems have been tackled by other researchers. This book is an ideal guide for students, practitioners and researchers faced with the challenges of doing qualitative research in both applied and academic settings in messy real-life contexts.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1446209121
• ISBN13: 9781446209127
• Release Date: December 2013
• Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd
• Length: 456 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.2" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

How Do I Do Qualitative Research When They're Not Supposed to Tell Me How?

The most helpful and practical book I've read yet on how to do qualitative research (for my dissertation, natch). Essays include a historical essay on the foundations of qualitative research and a theoretical overview of the applications of qualitative methods to social research, outlining and defending the use of qualitative research in the practical policy sphere. Where the rubber really hits the road is the step-by-step overview and descriptions of actually performing qualitative research, from initial research design and sampling through the interview process and data analysis afterward. Qualitative research is notoriously vague on how-tos; for many, that's part of the attraction. Those who need an introduction, or a more methodical approach to being non-methodical, will find this book immensely stimulating and productive.