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First published in 1990. There was a time when most researchers believed that the only phenomena that counted in the social sciences were those that could be measured. To make that perfectly clear, they called any phenomenon they intended to study a 'variable', indicating that the phenomenon could vary in size, length, amount, or any other quantity. Unfortunately, not many phenomena in the human world comes naturally in quantities. If we cannot even give a useful answer to what qualitative analysis is and how it works, then it seems rather incongruent to try and involve a computer, the very essence of precision and orderliness. Isn't qualitative analysis a much too individualistic and flexible an activity to be supported by a computer? Won't a computer do exactly what qualitative researchers want to avoid, namely standardize the process? Won't it mechanize and rigidify qualitative analysis? The answer to these questions is NO, and this book explains why.
Qualitative Data Collection Tools is a new and unique supplementary text that will guide students and new researchers to design, develop, pilot, and employ qualitative tools in order to collect qualitative data. An often-omitted subject in general qualitative textbooks, qualitative tools form the backbone of the data collection process. Students and new researchers are frequently left to create their own qualitative tools from scratch, an unnecessary hurdle in the qualitative research design process. Author Felice D. Billups has used her experience as a qualitative researcher, and in teaching and advising students about qualitative research, to develop the templates in this book as a starting point for readers conducting original qualitative research. The author briefly describes each method of data collection and offers readers suggestions for using and adapting the qualitative instrument templates within the text. Templates of interview protocols, focus group moderator guides, content analysis tools, document analysis tools, reflective questionnaires, diary and journal logs, and observational rubrics give the reader either a cut-and-paste solution for their own research or a starting point to design their own personalized qualitative tools. The first three chapters illuminate the qualitative data collection process and the role each type of qualitative tool plays in that process. The next six chapters provide detailed guides and numerous templates for each qualitative data collection method, covering interviews, focus groups, conversation and discourse analysis, observations, document analysis, field notes, journaling, and other reflective practices. A final chapter pulls together the multifaceted nature of qualitative research design and connects each tool back to the methodology to ensure trustworthiness and rigor in the data collection and instrument development process. Exemplars populate the appendices, offering readers concrete inspiration for ways to use and adapt the tools provided. If you have ever puzzled over how to best to design qualitative tools in order to guide and structure your qualitative data collection, or if you are embarking on your first qualitative study, Qualitative Data Collection Tools will give you a practical starting point to help make your qualitative data collection process easier and more organized.
Lecturers, click here to request an e-inspection copy of this text Qualitative Research Methods is based on the authors′ highly successful multidisciplinary qualitative methods workshops, which have been conducted for over a decade. In this book the authors propose a ′qualitative research cycle′ that leads students through the selection of appropriate methods, the collection of data and the transformation of findings into a finished project. It provides a clear explanation of the nature of qualitative research and its key concepts. Topics covered include: o formulating qualitative research questions o ethical issues o in-depth interviews o focus group discussions o observation o coding o data analysis o writing up qualitative research This text is ideal for any students taking a qualitative methods course or producing a qualitative research project at undergraduate or graduate level. It is illustrated throughout with case studies and field examples from a range of international contexts. The practical techniques are also accompanied by the author′s own research tools including interview guides, real coded data and comprehensive research checklists.
"This comprehensive, practical, user-friendly book provides a wealth of data analysis strategies that are essential for any qualitative research. It is a must-have tool book for moving from data analysis to writing for publication!" –Guofang Li, University of British Columbia, Canada Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook is the authoritative text for analyzing and displaying qualitative research data. The Fourth Edition maintains the analytic rigor of previous editions while showcasing a variety of new visual display models for qualitative inquiry. Graphics are added to the now-classic matrix and network illustrations of the original co-authors. Five chapters have been substantially revised, and the appendix’s annotated bibliography includes new titles in research methods. Graduate students and established scholars from all disciplines will find this resource an innovative compendium of ideas for the representation and presentation of qualitative data. As the authors demonstrate, when researchers "think display," their analyses of social life capture the complex and vivid processes of the people and institutions studied.
Using Software in Qualitative Research is an essential introduction to the practice and principles of Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDAS), helping the reader choose the most appropriate package for their needs and to get the most out of the software once they are using it. This step-by-step book considers a wide range of tasks and processes, bringing them together to demystify qualitative software and encourage flexible and critical choices and uses of software in supporting analysis. The book can be read as a whole or by chapters, building on one another to provide a holistic sense of the analytic journey without advocating a particular sequential process. Accessible and comprehensive, Using Software in Qualitative Research provides a practical but analytically-grounded guide to thinking about and using software and will be an essential companion for any qualitative researcher.
