Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design : Choosing among Five Approaches

by John W. Creswell

• ISBN13: 9781412995306
• ISBN10: 1412995302
• Additional ISBN(s): 9781506330204
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-03-14
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
• More Book Details

Summary

In this Third Edition of his bestselling text John W. Creswell explores the philosophical underpinnings, history, and key elements of each of five qualitative inquiry traditions: narrative research, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case study. In his signature accessible writing style, the author relates research designs to each of the traditions of inquiry. He compares theoretical frameworks, ways to employ standards of quality, and strategies for writing introductions to studies, collecting data, analyzing data, writing a narrative, and verifying results.

Author Biography

In this Third Edition of his bestselling text, John W. Creswell explores the philosophical underpinnings, history, and key elements of each of five qualitative inquiry traditions: narrative research, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case study. In his signature writing style, the author relates research designs to each of the traditions of inquiry in a highly accessible manner. He compares theoretical frameworks, ways to employ standards of quality, and strategies for writing introductions to studies, collecting data, analyzing data, writing a narrative, and verifying results.

Table of Contents

About the Author	p. xiv
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Analytic Table of Contents by Approach	p. xvi
List of Tables and Figures	p. xx
Introduction	p. 1
Purpose and Rationale for the Book	p. 2
What Is New in This Edition	p. 2
Positioning Myself	p. 6
Selection of the Five Approaches	p. 7
Narrative Research	p. 11
Phenomenology	p. 12
Grounded Theory	p. 12
Ethnography	p. 12
Case Study	p. 12
Audience	p. 12
Organization	p. 13
Philosophical Assumptions and Interpretive Frameworks	p. 15
Questions for Discussion	p. 16
Philosophical Assumptions	p. 16
A Framework for Understanding Assumptions	p. 16
Why Philosophy Is Important	p. 18
Four Philosophical Assumptions	p. 19
Writing Philosophical Assumptions Into Qualitative Studies	p. 22
Interpretive Frameworks	p. 22
Postpositivism	p. 23
Social Constructivism	p. 24
Transformative Frameworks	p. 25
Postmodern Perspectives	p. 27
Pragmatism	p. 28
Feminist Theories	p. 29
Critical Theory and Critical Race Theory (CRT)	p. 30
Queer Theory	p. 32
Disability Theories	p. 33
The Practice of Using Social Justice Interpretive Frameworks in Qualitative Research	p. 34
Linking Philosophy and Interpretive Frameworks	p. 35
Summary	p. 38
Additional Readings	p. 38
Exercises	p. 40
Designing a Qualitative Study	p. 42
Questions for Discussion	p. 43
The Characteristics of Qualitative Research	p. 43
When to Use Qualitative Research	p. 47
What a Qualitative Study Requires From Us	p. 49
The Process of Designing a Qualitative Study	p. 49
Preliminary Considerations	p. 50
Steps in the Process	p. 51
Elements in All Phases of the Research	p. 55
Ethical Issues During All Phases of the Research Process	p. 56
The General Structure of a Plan or Proposal	p. 61
Summary	p. 64
Additional Readings	p. 66
Exercises	p. 67
Five Qualitative Approaches to Inquiry	p. 69
Questions for Discussion	p. 70
Narrative Research	p. 70
Definition and Background	p. 70
Defining Features of Narrative Studies	p. 71
Types of Narratives	p. 72
Procedures for Conducting Narrative Research	p. 73
Challenges	p. 76
Phenomenological Research	p. 76
Definition and Background	p. 76
Defining Features of Phenomenology	p. 78
Types of Phenomenology	p. 79
Procedures for Conducting Phenomenological Research	p. 80
Challenges	p. 82
Grounded Theory Research	p. 83
Definition and Background	p. 83
Defining Features of Grounded Theory	p. 85
Types of Grounded Theory Studies	p. 86
Procedures for Conducting Grounded Theory Research	p. 88
Challenges	p. 89
Ethnographic Research	p. 90
Definition and Background	p. 90
Defining Features of Ethnographies	p. 91
Types of Ethnographies	p. 93
Procedures for Conducting an Ethnography	p. 94
Challenges	p. 96
Case Study Research	p. 97
Definition and Background	p. 97
Defining Features of Case Studies	p. 98
Types of Case Studies	p. 99
Procedures for Conducting a Case Study	p. 100
Challenges	p. 101
The Five Approaches Compared	p. 102
Summary	p. 107
Additional Readings	p. 107
Exercises	p. 110
Five Different Qualitative Studies	p. 111
Questions for Discussion	p. 112
A Narrative Study (Chan, 2010; see Appendix B)	p. 112
A Phenomenological Study (Anderson & Spencer, 2002; see Appendix C)	p. 114
A Grounded Theory Study (Harley et al., 2009; see Appendix D)	p. 116
An Ethnographic Study (Haenfler, 2004; see Appendix E)	p. 118
A Case Study (Asmussen & Creswell, 1995; see Appendix F)	p. 119
Differences Among the Approaches	p. 121
Central Features of Each Approach	p. 121
Selecting Your Approach	p. 123
Summary	p. 124
Additional Readings	p. 125
Exercises	p. 128
Introducing and Focusing the Study	p. 129
Questions for Discussion	p. 130
The Research Problem Statement	p. 130
The Purpose Statement	p. 134
The Research Questions	p. 138
The Central Question	p. 138
Subquestions	p. 140
Summary	p. 142
Additional Readings	p. 143
Exercises	p. 143
Data Collection	p. 145
Questions for Discussion	p. 145
The Data Collection Circle	p. 146
The Site or Individual	p. 147
Access and Rapport	p. 151
Institutional Review Boards	p. 152
Access and Rapport Within the Five Approaches	p. 153
Purposeful Sampling Strategy	p. 154
Participants in the Sample	p. 155
Types of Sampling	p. 156
Sample Size	p. 157
Forms of Data	p. 157
Interviewing	p. 163
Observation	p. 166
Recording Procedures	p. 168
Field Issues	p. 171
Access to the Organization	p. 171
Observations	p. 172
Interviews	p. 172
Documents and Audiovisual Materials	p. 174
Ethical Issues	p. 174
Storing Data	p. 175
Five Approaches Compared	p. 176
Summary	p. 177
Additional Readings	p. 177
Exercises	p. 178
Data Analysis and Representation	p. 179
Questions for Discussion	p. 179
Three Analysis Strategies	p. 180
The Data Analysis Spiral	p. 182
Organizing the Data	p. 182
Reading and Memoing	p. 183
Describing, Classifying, and Interpreting Data Into Codes and Themes	p. 184
Interpreting the Data	p. 187
Representing and Visualizing the Data	p. 187
Analysis Within Approaches to Inquiry	p. 189
Narrative Research Analysis and Representation	p. 189
Phenomenological Analysis and Representation	p. 193
Grounded Theory Analysis and Representation	p. 195
Ethnographic Analysis and Representation	p. 197
Case Study Analysis and Representation	p. 199
Comparing the Five Approaches	p. 200
Computer Use in Qualitative Data Analysis	p. 201
Advantages and Disadvantages	p. 201
A Sampling of Computer Programs	p. 203
Use of Computer Sofware Programs With the Five Approaches	p. 204
How to Choose Among the Computer Programs	p. 209
Summary	p. 211
Additional Readings	p. 211
Exercises	p. 212
Writing a Qualitative Study	p. 213
Questions for Discussion	p. 213
Several Writing Strategies	p. 214
Reflexivity and Representations in Writing	p. 214
Audience for Our Writings	p. 217
Encoding Our Writings	p. 217
Quotes in Our Writings	p. 219
Overall and Embedded Writing Strategies	p. 220
Narrative Writing Structure	p. 220
Overall Structure	p. 220
Embedded Structure	p. 224
Phenomenological Writing Structure	p. 225
Overall Structure	p. 226
Embedded Structure	p. 228
Grounded Theory Writing Structure	p. 229
Overall Structure	p. 229
Embedded Structure	p. 231
Ethnographic Writing Structure	p. 232
Overall Structure	p. 233
Embedded Structure	p. 234
Case Study Writing Structure	p. 236
Overall Structure	p. 236
Embedded Structure	p. 238
A Comparison of Narrative Structures	p. 239
Summary	p. 240
Additional Readings	p. 240
Exercises	p. 241
Standards of Validation and Evaluation	p. 243
Questions for Discussion	p. 243
Validation and Reliability in Qualitative Research	p. 244
Perspectives on Validation	p. 244
Validation Strategies	p. 250
Reliability Perspectives	p. 253
Evaluation Criteria	p. 255
Qualitative Perspectives	p. 255
Narrative Research	p. 258
Phenomenological Research	p. 259
Grounded Theory Research	p. 260
Ethnographic Research	p. 262
Case Study Research	p. 264
Comparing the Evaluation Standards of the Five Approaches	p. 265
Summary	p. 265
Additional Readings	p. 266
Exercises	p. 268
"Turning the Story" and Conclusion	p. 269
Turning the Story	p. 269
A Case Study	p. 271
A Narrative Study	p. 272
A Phenomenology	p. 273
A Grounded Theory Study	p. 273
An Ethnography	p. 274
Conclusion	p. 277
Exercises	p. 280
An Annotated Glossary of Terms	p. 282
A Narrative Research Study-"Living in the Space Between Participant and Researcher as a Narrative Inquirer: Examining Ethnic Identity of Chinese Canadian Students as Conflicting Stories to Live By"	p. 303
A Phenomenological Study-"Cognitive Representations of AIDS"	p. 327
A Grounded Theory Study-"Developing Long-Term Physical Activity Participation: A Grounded Theory Study With African American Women"	p. 347
An Ethnography-"Rethinking Subcultural Resistance: Core Values of the Straight Edge Movement"	p. 370
A Case Study-"Campus Response to a Student Gunman"	p. 399
References	p. 417
Author Index	p. 435
Subject Index	p. 442
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.