Research, When You Know What You're Doing: A Review of Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry

Maria J. Mayan's publication of Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry (2009) provides a broad introduction to the scope and process of conducting qualitative research. The author used many of the same concepts in his dissertation and continues to conduct qualitative inquiry, often times using Mayan's book as a useful resource in structuring his research. The book outlined qualitative philosophies, methodologies, and data analysis procedures used in qualitative research. Keywords: Qualitative Research, Qualitative Methodologies, Data Collection, Qualitative PhilosophyThe German scientist, Werner Von Braun, once quipped, "Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing." For many researchers, the debate over types of methodologies and data collection and analysis procedures takes precedence over the fundamental aspects of their work. For students new to qualitative research, it can be a challenging prospect to choose which qualitative methods to employ when conducting a study.In Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry , Maria J. Mayan offers a succinct overview of the qualitative paradigm. For professors looking for an introductory text for qualitative research courses or a student new to qualitative inquiry, Mayan's work is a welcome addition to their bookshelves. Rather than delving into the more intricate details of qualitative research, Mayan wrote this book in order that it "would be useful to and anchored in the questions of newcomers to qualitative inquiry, regardless of discipline" (p. 7). It is the breadth of this study that enables "newcomers" to understand the scope of qualitative research.Divided into ten chapters, Mayan dissects qualitative research into steps that will guide students and researchers into designing studies into small actions. Chapter One deals with the purpose of qualitative research. Mayan argues (2009) that "qualitative researchers attempt to interpret or make sense of the meaning people attach to their experiences or underlying a particular phenomenon" (p. 11). Not wanting to portray qualitative research as simplistic, Mayan warns that researchers "invite context, complexity, and 'confounding variables" (p. 11). It is this admission that dismisses criticisms of qualitative research as a worthy research paradigm. Another utility of this study is Mayan's addition of a framework to guide researchers into establishing a plan of action for qualitative research. Her "armchair walkthrough" establish a procedure for maintaining methodological coherence. For many new researchers, it provides a step-by-step list to increase the reliability of one's research.As a graduate student, my dissertation advisor and I spent numerous hours discussing theoretical frameworks as I began working on the first three chapters. In our conversations, I began to appreciate more fully the implications of aligning theory and methodology. I can recall her advice, "clarifying those issues now will save you significant heartache down the road." In Chapter Two, Mayan provides a summary on the relationship between theoretical perspective and methodology coincide. Importantly, she admits that researchers can easily mix and match non-congruent concepts and theories.In Chapters Three and Four, Mayan poses a series of questions that aid in the researcher's attempt to establish research questions and an appropriate method to obtaining the right information to answer them. The range of approaches to qualitative inquiry is by no means exhaustive (Mayan covers topics from autoethnography to phenomenology and grounded theory), but her list provides a suitable base to begin an investigation. Although her explanations are succinct, the reader gains a valuable understanding of the various approaches to qualitative research. Lastly, she pairs the chapter on types of research with an exploration of the numerous methods to interpret the information. When any qualitative researcher is asked "What are you trying to study? …