Accessible, practical, and packed with indispensable advice, this bestselling textbook is the perfect hands-on guide for any student embarking on their own research that now comes with an interactive field guide.

Part One: Introduction Chapter 1: How To Use This Book Chapter 2: What You Can (and Can’t) 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 Moira’s Research Diary Sally’s Research Diary Simon’s 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

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.