Qualitative Methods in Social Research

1. WHAT IS SOCIAL RESEARCH? SOME PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL CONCERNS / What Is Social Research? / Why Do Research? / Developing a Sociological Imagination / The Research Process: Moving Between Theories and Data / Paradigms / Traditional Approaches to Social Research (Positivism) / Challenges to Traditional Ways of Doing Social Science / You Are Here: Locating the Self in Social Research / Naturalism / Social Constructionist and Interpretive Approaches / Feminist and Other Critical Approaches / Postmodernism / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 2. STRATEGIES FOR BEGINNING RESEARCH / Getting Started: Where to Begin? / Where Do Ideas Come From? / A Problem Is Always a Problem for Someone / Deciding What to Research / Developing a Research Strategy / Reading the Literature / Summary: The Research Process in View / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Additional Readings 3. ETHICAL ISSUES / Sleeping Well at Night: A Practical Ethics / Ethical Codes / Confidentiality and Informed Consent / Controversies in Social Research / Feminist Approaches to Research Ethics / Institutional Review Boards / Ethical Concerns in Qualitative Research / Practical Concerns in Protecting Privacy / Conclusion / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 4. OBSERVATION: PARTICIPANT AND OTHERWISE / Participating and Observing / The Self as Instrument / Thinking About Settings: Selecting a Site / Getting In, Gaining Access / Emotions in The Field / Writing Field Notes / Leaving the Field / Focusing / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 5. INTERVIEWS / Interviewing as a Relationship / Types Of Interviews / Closeness and Distance In Interview Situations / Developing Relationships / Getting Ready to Begin: Preparing For The Interview / Before the Interview / During the Interview / After The Interview / Group Interviews / Making Meaning / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 6. UNOBTRUSIVE MEASURES: ANALYZING TEXTS AND MATERIAL ARTIFACTS / Physical Traces / Material Artifacts / Documents and Records / Electronic Texts / Historical Research / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 7. ACTION RESEARCH / Varieties of Action Research / Research for Whom? / Empowerment / The Process of Action Research: Look, Think, Act / Identifying Stakeholders / Formulating a Collective Problem / Think: Exploring the Problem / Act: Defining an Agenda for Action / Sharing the Results / Some Problems and Opportunities in Action Research / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 8. MAKING SENSE OF DATA / Making Sense of Qualitative Data: A Process of Making Meaning / Managing Data / Getting Intimate With Your Data / Coding / Memos / Asking Questions / Developing an Analysis / Content Analysis / Semiotic Analysis / Grounding the Analysis / Computer-Assisted Data Analysis / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 9. NARRATIVE ANALYSIS / What Is a Narrative? / The Structure of Stories / Other Structures of Stories / Structure, Story, and Social Context / Some Practical Advice / Evaluating Narratives / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading 10. WRITING / Writing as a Process / Audiences and Venues / Useful Ways to Structure Qualitative Research / Making Writing Vivid / Other Genres of Qualitative Research / Questions for Thought / Exercises / Suggestions for Further Reading Appendix A American Sociological Association Code of Ethics Appendix B Sample Informed Consent Form References