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Foundations of Qualitative Research
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Foundations of Qualitative Research
Interpretive and Critical Approaches

March 2007 | 392 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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Foundations of Qualitative Research introduces key theoretical and epistemological concepts in an accessible and non-intimidating style replete with historical and current real-world examples employed to bring these otherwise difficult concepts to life.
 
Chapter 1: World Views, Paradigms, and the Practice of Social Science Research
Case 1. Quantitative Research

 
Case 2. Qualitative Research

 
Thinking about the Foundations and Practice of Research

 
What This Book Is and Is Not About.

 
What Warrants Our Attention?

 
The Traditional Canon

 
Alternative Paradigms

 
New Techniques or New Paradigms?

 
 
Chapter 2: History and Context of Paradigm Development
Positivism: A Response to Metaphysical and Magical Explanations

 
Critical Theory: A Response to Inequities in Society

 
Interpretivism: A Response to the Excesses of “Scientific” Social Science

 
The Special Cases of Postmodernism and Feminism

 
 
Chapter 3: Foundational Issues: Postpositivist and Critical Perspectives
Social Science Research: The View from the Postpositivist Paradigm

 
Social Science Research: The View from the Critical Theory Paradigm

 
 
Chapter 4: History and Foundations of Interpretivist Research
(1) Nature of Reality.

 
(2) Purpose of Research.

 
(3) Acceptable Methodology/Data.

 
(4) The Meaning of Data

 
(5) Relationship of Research to Practice.

 
The Implications of an Interpretivist Approach

 
What Sorts of Research are Worthwhile?

 
Examples of Interpretive Research

 
 
Chapter 5: Frameworks for Qualitative Research
Postpositivist Research

 
“Moments” of Qualitative Research

 
Some General Frameworks for Qualitative Research

 
 
Chapter 6: General Guidelines for Qualitative Research
Guidelines for Qualitative Research

 
Situated or Contextual Understanding, Not Truth, is the Purpose of Research

 
Accept Multiple Sources of Influence

 
Take A Foundational Rather Than Technique Perspective

 
Practice Recursive (Iterative ) and Emergent Data Collection and Analysis

 
Use Multiple Sources of Data

 
Think of Research as a Reflective Process

 
The Researcher is the Primary Tool for Data Collection and Analysis

 
An Emphasis on Participatory versus Nonparticipatory Research.

 
Adopt an Open Approach

 
Deal With Bias Directly

 
Select Natural Contexts for Research

 
Research Should be Holistic, Not Atomistic

 
Research Involves More Than Induction and Deduction: Analogical Reasoning, Abduction, and Family Resemblances

 
Alternatives to Postpositivist Criteria for Believability: Validity and Reliability

 
Alternative Approaches to Validity and Reliability: Triangulation and More

 
Conclusions? Aren’t They Generalizations?

 
 
Chapter 7: Methods of Qualitative Research
Case 1: Action Research on a Pediatric Surgical Ward

 
Established Qualitative Research Methods

 
Ethnography

 
Case Studies: Another Form of Qualitative Observation

 
Interview Research

 
Historigraphy

 
Historiography: The Research Methods of History Innovative Methods

 
Participatory Qualitative Research

 
Emancipatory Research

 
Critical Emancipatory Action Research

 
 
Chapter 8: Approaches to Data Analysis and Intepretation
The Purpose of Research

 
General Theory

 
Objective Description

 
Hermeneutic (Verstehen) Understanding

 
Story telling/Narrative

 
Data Analysis Families

 
Eyeballing the Data

 
Connoisseurship: A Global Perspective

 
Hermeneutics as a Data Analysis Method

 
Grounded Theory

 
Analytic Induction

 
A Final Topic: The Ethics of Research

 
 
Chapter 9: 21st Century Social Science: Peering into the Future
Will the Cacophony Continue?

 
Why Can’t Social Science Converge on The Answer?

 
Competition

 
Linearity

 
Dialog as an Alternative to Competition

 
Three Approaches to Knowing in Greek Thought

 
Plato

 
Aristotle

 
The Humanities

 
Choices 20th Century Social Science Made

 
Suppose We Chose Badly

 
Two Theories That May Help Us Build 21st Century Social Science

 
Poetic Logic

 
Chaos and Complexity Theory: Another Route to a Nonlinea Social Science

 

A great introductory text to qualitative research which introduces theory step by step. An invigorating new introduction to th area.

Mr James Brighton
Department of sport and Outdoor Education, Hartpury College
February 1, 2011
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Excellent! A welcome addition to the field.

Wendy Solomons
Psychology , Hertfordshire University
July 13, 2010
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Although a good overview text, in this context I wanted a text that was more 'how to' than conceptual.

Professor Michael Hyman
Marketing Dept, New Mexico State University - Las Cruces
February 12, 2010
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