Doing Qualitative Research

by David Silverman

• ISBN13: 9781848600348
• ISBN10: 1848600348
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-12-08
• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd

Summary

Written in a lively, accessible style, Doing Qualitative Research provides a step-by-step guide to all the questions students ask when beginning their first research project. Silverman demonstrates how to learn the craft of qualitative research by applying knowledge about different methods to actual data. He provides practical advice on key issues such as defining 'originality' and narrowing down a topic, keeping a research diary and writing a research report, and presenting research to different audiences.

Table of Contents

Introduction

How To Use This Book

What You Can (And Can't) Do With Qualitative Research

Introduction

Why Do Students Use Qualitative Methods?

Are Qualitative Methods Always The Best?

Should You Use Qualitative Methods?

Concluding Remarks

The Research Experience I

Introduction

Moira's Research Diary

Sally's Research Diary

Simon's Research Diary

Concluding Remarks

The Research Experience II

Introduction

Interviews

Ethnographies

Texts

Audio Data

Visual Data

Multiple Methods

Concluding Remarks

What Counts As 'Originality'?

Introduction

Originality

Being A 'Professional'

Independent Critical Thought

Concluding Remarks

Starting Out

Selecting A Topic

Introduction

Workable Research Questions

Simplistic Inductivism

The 'Kitchen Sink' Gambit

The Grand Theorist

Strategies For Simplistic Inductivists

Strategies For 'Kitchen Sinkers'

Strategies For Grand Theorists

Strategies For All Researchers

Concluding Remarks

Using Theories

Introduction

How Theoretical Models Shape Research

The Different Languages Of Qualitative Research

Theories, Models And Hypotheses

Examples

Concluding Remarks

Choosing A Methodology

Introduction

Qualitative Or Quantitative?

Your Research Strategy

Choosing A Methodology: A Case Study

Naturally-Occurring Data?

Multiple Methods?

Concluding Remarks

Selecting A Case

Introduction

What Is A Case Study?

Generalizing From Cases

Types Of Case Studies

Combining Qualitative Research With Quantitative Measures Of Populations

Purposive Sampling

Theoretical Sampling

Generalizability Is Present In A Single Case

Concluding Remarks

Ethical Research

Introduction

The Standards Of Ethical Research

Why Ethics Matter For Your Research

Ethical Guidelines In Practice

Complex Ethical Issues

Research Governance

Conclusion: Managing Ethical Demands

Writing A Research Proposal

Introduction

Aim For Crystal Clarity

Plan Before You Write

Be Persuasive

Be Practical

Make Broader Links

Concluding Remarks

Collecting and Analysing Your Data

Collecting Your Data

Collecting Interview Data

Collecting Ethnographic Data

Concluding Remarks

Developing Data Analysis

Introduction

Kick-Starting Data Analysis

A Case Study

Interviews

Fieldnotes

Transcripts

Visual Data

Concluding Remarks

Using Computers To Analyse Qualitative Data

Introduction

What CAQDAS Software Can Do For You

Advantages Of CAQDAS

Limitations And Disadvantages

Theory Building With CAQDAS

Keyword Analysis

Concluding Remarks

Quality In Qualitative Research

Introduction

Validity

Reliability

Concluding Remarks

Evaluating Qualitative Research

Introduction

Two Guides For Evaluating Research

Four Quality Criteria

Applying Quality Criteria

Four Quality Issues Revisited

Concluding Remarks

Writing Up

The First Few Pages

Introduction

The Title

The Abstract

The List of Contents

The Introduction

Concluding Remarks

The Literature Review Chapter

Recording Your Reading

Writing Your Literature Review

Practical Questions

Principles

Do You Need A Literature Review Chapter?

Concluding Remarks

The Methodology Chapter

Introduction

What Should The Methodology Chapter Contain?

A Natural History Chapter?

Concluding Remarks

Writing Your Data Chapters

Introduction

The Macrostructure

The Microstructure

Tightening Up

Concluding Remarks

Your Final Chapter

Introduction

The Final Chapter As Mutual Stimulation

What Exactly Should Your Final Chapter Contain?

Confessions And Trumpets

Theorizing As Thinking Through Data

Writing For Audiences

Why Your Final Chapter Can Be Fun

Concluding Remarks

Getting Support

Making Good Use Of Your Supervisor

Introduction

Supervision Horror Stories

Student And Supervisor Expectations

The Early Stages

The Later Stages

Standards Of Good Practice

Concluding Remarks

Getting Feedback

Introduction

Writing

Speaking

The Art Of Presenting Research

Feedback From The People You Study

Concluding Remarks

Review

Effective Qualitative Research

Introduction

Keep It Simple

Take Advantage Of Using Qualitative Data

Avoid Drowning In Data

Avoid Journalism

Concluding Remarks

The Aftermath

Surviving an Oral Examination

Introduction

Viva Horror Stories

Preparing For Your Oral

Doing The Oral

Outcomes

Revising Your Thesis After The Oral

A Case Study

Concluding Remarks

Getting Published

Introduction

The Backstage Politics Of Publishing

Strategic Choices

What Journals Are Looking For

Reviewers' Comments

How To Write A Short Journal Article

Concluding Remarks

Audiences

Introduction

The Policy-Making Audience

The Practitioner Audience

The Lay Audience

Concluding Remarks

Finding A Job

Introduction

Learning About Vacancies

Getting On A Shortlist

The Job Interview

Concluding Remarks

Appendix: Simplified Transcription Symbols

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