Qualitative Methods: A Practical Journey into Research
Author: Dr.Salma Seth / Dr. N.K.Chadha / Dr. Harpreet Bhatia
This book aims to provide researchers who are new (or relatively new) to qualitative research with the methodological tools and conceptual maps they need to navigate their way through the process. It describes the uncertainties surrounding qualitative research and the many dilemmas faced by researchers. It illustrates these by drawing on the experiences of researchers with varying degrees of expertise in qualitative research. It also provides readers with the necessary background knowledge and raises their awareness of the questions they will need to address to help them make informed decisions about how to deal with these uncertainties and dilemmas. This book aims to facilitate the further development of this active interest by offering practical guidance to those conducting qualitative research in psychology. It is written in an accessible manner and is primarily intended as a reference book for undergraduates and postgraduates, though it will also be useful to more advanced researchers. It covers the main qualitative approaches now used in psychology, and each chapter offers the reader a step-by-step guide to carrying out research using that particular method. The contents of the book are organised in a way that reflects the three main objectives that the authors had in mind. Our first objective was to provide readers with the necessary background knowledge and an awareness of the questions they will need to address in order to make informed decisions about whether to conduct qualitative research and, if they decide to follow a qualitative path, which particular qualitative approach (es) would be suited to their research goals. Our second objective was to equip readers with the basic tools to carry out their analysis by providing detailed, contextualized coverage of the practicalities of the qualitative methods/approaches. In addition, the book includes accounts of an actual analysis of a specific data set in a step-by-step manner using the approaches.
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