With expert advice from the author and real-life experiences from students, this book shows you how to go from the ideas of research to the practicalities of designing, conducting, and writing about your research yourself. Whats new in this edition:
· Fully interactive digital field guide including video tutorials and real data to practice with
· An improved structure that takes you step-by-step form start to finish
· An overview and practical guidance on mixed methods and working with different kinds of data
The free digital field guide secures its place as the take this everywhere textbook that supports students both in the classroom and in the field providing access via tablet/phone/laptop for easy access to:
- A readymade bibliography of qualitative research contained in SAGE journal articles curated by the author, to enrich reading and offer top research articles to cite;
- Definitions to explain key concepts and methods to deepen understanding of what is discussed in the text;
- Davids quick, practical video tips and instructional guidance for when students are in the field (or preparing to go into it). David steps in as an instant supervisor to give encouragement and avoid common pitfalls;
- A treasure chest of online resources and weblinks chosen by David offering expert guidance on how to do research and do it better. These include research websites and resources as well as insider guides from trusted experts, links to organizations/software, online text/articles;
- Datasets provide students with research data on which to practice organizing, analysing, and drawing conclusions;
-Cheat sheets and reflective trackers students can use to monitor their progress and plan and manage projects.
*Interactivity only available through Vitalsource eBook included as part of paperback product (ISBN 9781526441614). Access not guaranteed on second-hand copies (as access code may have previously been redeemed).
Arvustused
Whether you are a scared neophyte research student or a more experienced qualitative researcher this is an excellent and invaluable and most importantly accessible text that will open the lid of a treasure box of resources. You need this book. -- Thérèse A.G. Lewis In principle it is impossible to write a method book that will be valid forever. In practice, David Silverman did just that. Adjustments in new editions only fine-tune the text that contains everything that a qualitative researcher needs to know. -- Barbara Czarniawska This is an excellent textbook that gives students very practical advice of how to conduct qualitative analysis in a thoughtful way. Silvermans vast experience within qualitative methods gives the text a clarity and overview that one can only admire. -- Nanna Mik-Meyer An essential guide for anyone new to or brushing up on qualitative methodology. This clear, student-centered guide offers first person insights and true-to-life stories that prepare readers for all of the surprises that await researchers in the field. From the ins and outs of designing a study to writing up and publishing analysis (and much more), this book is an accessible, soup-to-nuts account of a complex set of methods we call qualitative research. -- Katie Headrick Taylor
Part One: Introduction
Chapter 1: How To Use This Book
Chapter 2: What You Can (and Cant) Do with Qualitative Research
Why Do Researchers Use Qualitative Methods?
Are Qualitative Methods Always Appropriate?
Should You Use Qualitative Methods?
Chapter 3: Focusing a Research Project
Moiras Research Diary
Sallys Research Diary
Simons Research Diary
Part Two: Starting Out and Project Foundations
Chapter 4: Ethical Research
The Standards of Ethical Research
Why Ethics Matter for Your Research
Ethical Guidelines in Practice
Complex Ethical Issues
Research Governance
Managing Unfolding Ethical Demands
Chapter 5: What Counts as Originality?
Originality
Being a Professional
Independent Critical Thought
Chapter 6: Research Design
Interviews
Ethnographies
Texts
The Internet
Audio Data
Visual Data
Mixed Methods
Chapter 7: Using Theories
How Theoretical Models Shape Research
The Different Languages of Qualitative Research
Theories, Models and Hypotheses
Examples
Chapter 8: Formulating a Research Question
Challenges
Solutions
Some Cautions
Chapter 9: Choosing a Methodology
Qualitative or Quantitative?
Your Research Strategy
Choosing a Methodology: a Case Study
Naturally Occurring Data?
Mixed Methods?
Chapter 10: Writing a Research Proposal
Aim for Crystal Clarity
Plan Before You Write
Be Persuasive
Be Practical
Make Broader Links
A Caution: Misunderstanding Qualitative Research?
Part Three: Getting Support
Making Good Use of Your Supervisor
Supervision Horror Stories
Student and Supervisor Expectations
The Early Stages
The Later Stages
Standards of Good Practice
Chapter 12: Getting Feedback
Writing
Speaking
The Art of Presenting Research
Feedback from the People You Study
Part Four: Collecting and Analysing Data
Chapter 13: How many cases do you need?
What is a case study?
The Quantitative Model of Generalization
The Rationale of Case Study Design
Case study Research in Practice
Chapter 14: Collecting Your Data
Collecting Interview Data
Collecting Focus Group Data
Collecting Ethnographic Data
Collecting Internet Data
Chapter 15: Developing Data Analysis
Kick-Starting Data Analysis
A Case Study
Interviews
Fieldnotes
Transcripts
Visual Data
Chapter 16: Using Computers to Analyse Qualitative Data
A note on learning to use QDA software
What QDA software can do for you
Advantages of QDA software
Text analytics
Chapter 17: Quality in Qualitative Research
Validity
Reliability
Chapter 18: Evaluating Qualitative Research
Two Guides for Evaluating Research
Four Quality Criteria
Applying Quality Criteria
Four Quality Issues Revisited
Chapter 19: Effective Qualitative Research
Keep It Simple
Do Not Assume That We Are Only Concerned with Subjective Experience
Take Advantage of Using Qualitative Data
Avoid Drowning in Data
Avoid Journalism
Part Five: Writing Up Your Research
Chapter 20: Audiences
The Policy-Making Audience
The Practitioner Audience
The Lay Audience
Chapter 21: The First Few Pages
The Title
The Abstract
Keywords
The Table of Contents
Chapter 22: The Literature Review
Chapter
Recording Your Reading
Writing your Literature Review
Practical Questions
Principles
Do You Need a Literature Review
Chapter?
Chapter 23: The Methodology
Chapter
What Should the Methodology
Chapter Contain?
A Natural History
Chapter?
Chapter 24: The Data
Chapters
The Macrostructure
The Microstructure
Tightening Up
Chapter 25: The Concluding
Chapter
The Concluding
Chapter as Mutual Stimulation
What Exactly Should Your Concluding
Chapter Contain?
Confessions and Trumpets
Theorizing as Thinking Through Data
Writing for Audiences
Why Your Concluding
Chapter can be Fun
Part Six: The Aftermath
Chapter 26: Surviving an Oral Examination
Viva Horror Stories
Preparing for Your Oral
Doing the Oral
Outcomes
Revising Your Thesis after the Oral
A Case Study
Chapter 27: Getting Published
The Backstage Politics of Publishing
Strategic Choices
What Journals are Looking For
Reviewers Comments
How to Write a Short Journal Article
David Silverman trained as a sociologist at the London School of Economics and the University of California, Los Angeles. He taught for 32 years at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he is now Emeritus Professor in the Sociology Department as well as Visiting Professor in the Business Schools, Kings College, London, Leeds University and University of Technology Sydney and Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology. He is interested in conversation and discourse analysis and he has researched medical consultations, shelters for homeless people and HIV-test counselling.
He is the author of Doing Qualitative Research (sixth edition, 2022) and A Very Short, Fairly Interesting, Reasonably Cheap Book about Qualitative Research (second edition, 2013c). He is the editor of Qualitative Research (fifth edition, 2021) and the Sage series Introducing Qualitative Methods. In recent years, he has offered short, hands-on workshops in qualitative research for universities in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
Now retired from full-time work, he aims to watch 100 days of county cricket a year. He also enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandsons as well as voluntary work in an old peoples home where he chats and sings with residents.
