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

Front Cover
Jane Ritchie, Jane Lewis
SAGE, Feb 19, 2003 - Social Science - 352 pages
'An excellent introduction to the theoretical, methodological and practical issues of qualitative research... they deal with issues at all stages in a very direct, clear, systematic and practical manner and thus make the processes involved in qualitative research more transparent' - Nyhedsbrev

'This is a "how to" book on qualitative methods written by people who do qualitative research for a living.... It is likely to become the standard manual on all graduate and undergraduate courses on qualitative methods' - Professor Robert Walker, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham

What exactly is qualitative research? What are the processes involved and what can it deliver as a mode of inquiry?

Qualitative research is an exciting blend of scientific investigation and creative discovery. When properly executed, it can bring a unique understanding of people's lives which in turn can be used to deepen our understanding of society. It as a skilled craft used by practitioners and researchers in the 'real world'; this textbook illuminates the possibilities of qualitative research and presents a sequential overview of the process written by those active in the field.

Qualitative Research Practice:

- Leads the student or researcher through the entire process of qualitative research from beginning to end - moving through design, sampling, data collection, analysis and reporting.

- Is written by practising researchers with extensive experience of conducting qualitative research in the arena of social and public policy - contains numerous case studies.

- Contains plenty of pedagogical material including chapter summaries, explanation of key concepts, reflective points for seminar discussion and further reading in each chapter

- Is structured and applicable for all courses in qualitative research, irrespective of field.

Drawn heavily on courses run by the Qualitative Unit at the National Centre for Social Research, this textbook should be recommended reading for students new to qualitative research across the social sciences.

From inside the book

Contents

IV
1
V
2
VI
5
VII
11
VIII
18
IX
22
XI
23
XII
24
LII
168
LIV
169
LV
170
LVI
171
LVII
174
LVIII
180
LIX
185
LX
190

XIII
26
XIV
34
XV
38
XVI
44
XVII
45
XVIII
46
XIX
47
XX
48
XXI
49
XXII
53
XXIII
56
XXIV
62
XXV
71
XXVI
74
XXVII
75
XXVIII
76
XXIX
77
XXX
86
XXXI
88
XXXII
96
XXXIII
104
XXXIV
107
XXXVI
108
XXXVII
109
XXXVIII
110
XXXIX
115
XL
127
XLI
133
XLII
136
XLIII
137
XLV
138
XLVI
139
XLVII
144
XLVIII
148
XLIX
153
L
155
LI
165
LXI
193
LXII
197
LXIV
198
LXV
199
LXVI
200
LXVII
206
LXVIII
209
LXIX
213
LXX
217
LXXII
218
LXXIII
219
LXXIV
220
LXXV
237
LXXVI
248
LXXVII
257
LXXVIII
261
LXXIX
262
LXXXI
263
LXXXII
264
LXXXIII
266
LXXXIV
270
LXXXV
277
LXXXVI
284
LXXXVII
285
LXXXVIII
286
LXXXIX
287
XC
288
XCI
290
XCII
293
XCIII
301
XCIV
315
XCV
319
XCVI
320
XCVIII
321
XCIX
331
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2003)

Jane Ritchie is a psychologist and worked exclusively in social policy research throughout her career. She founded the Qualitative Research Unit at NatCen Social Research in 1985 and was the Unit's Director until 1998. She was one of the originators of the qualitative analytic tool, Framework, and teaches and writes about qualitative methods.

Jane Lewis was Director of the Qualitative Research Unit at NatCen Social Research from 1998-2007, and then Director of Research and Evaluation at the National Children's Bureau. Her career has since focused on research utilisation and implementation in child and family services. She ran the national support agency for evidence-informed practice Research in Practice and is now centrally involved in the development of UK implementation science and practice as a Director of the Colebrooke Centre for Evidence and Implementation.

Bibliographic information