The How To of Qualitative Research

Janice Aurini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo. She completed her Ph.D. at McMaster University and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. Her research examines education policy, inequality, private education, and parenting. Dr. Aurini has conducted field work, video-recorded observations, interviews, focus groups with children and adults, and photo-interviews. She has also worked on several mixed methods and large-n qualitative projects. Her recent articles can be found in Sociology of Education, Canadian Public Policy, Qualitative Research, and the European Journal of Higher Education. She is currently the primary investigator on a SSHRC funded project on upper-middle-class parenting in three countries. Melanie Heath is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at McMaster University. She completed her Ph.D. at University of Southern California and was a postdoctoral fellow at Rice University. Her research examines gender, sexuality, and family politics. Dr. Heath has conducted field work, interviews, focus groups, and textual analysis. She is author of One Marriage Under God: The Campaign to Promote Marriage in America (New York University Press, 2012). Her forthcoming book on comparative government regulation of polygamies is titled, Forbidden Intimacies: Transnational Regulation of Polygamies at the Limits of Western Tolerance (Stanford University Press). Her recent work has been published in Gender & Society, Signs, Qualitative Sociology, Sociological Perspectives, Sociological Quarterly, and Contexts. Stephanie Howells is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph. She completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Sociology at McMaster University. Her research is generally centered on education, crime, violence and youth. She has worked on several mixed methods research projects, and has conducted focus groups, personal interviews, and media analyses in her qualitative research. Her research has been published in Higher Education Policy and Policing. She is currently co-investigator on a SSHRC funded Partnership Development Grant called From NIMBY to Neighbour: Brokering a dialogue about homelessness among police, people experiencing homelessness and the community.

This books cleverly steers both new and more experienced researchers through the process of undertaking qualitative research. Its welcome pragmatic approach and rich examples are both useful and insightful, offering a toolkit for doing a wide range of projects with people, situations and different social environments. Whether you choose to dip into a single chapter or use the book as an overall guide, it will help you get started and get published!

• Part I: Jump Starting Your Qualitative Research ProjectChapter 1: Introduction: From Why to How in Qualitative ResearchWhat is Qualitative Research?A pragmatic approach to qualitative research: What this book is (and is not) aboutChapter 2: How to Conceptualize Research: Getting Started and Advancing Ongoing ProjectsStep One: Selecting a topicStep Two: How to Use the Literature to ConceptualizeStep Three: Take a step backChapter 3: How to Design a Qualitative Project: Selecting the Right Tools for the JobStep One: Develop Research Question(s)Step Two: Connecting Research Question(s) to MethodsStep Three: Developing a sampling strategyChapter 4: Taking a Step Back: How to Build Methodological and Ethical Integrity into your ResearchStep One: Feasibility and fitStep Two: TrustworthinessStep Three: Sample size and saturationStep Four: Ethical considerationsPart II: The Ins and Outs of Collecting Qualitative DataChapter 5: How to Do Interviews: Making What People Say MatterStep One: Types of interviewsStep Two: Method of interviewingStep Three: Getting preparedStep Four: Data collection toolsStep Five: Closing the dealStep Six: Interviewing techniquesStep Seven: Transcription decisionsStep Eight: Managing interview dataChapter 6: How to Do Focus Groups: Making the Most of Group ProcessesStep One: Types of focus groupsStep Two: Group size and sample sizeStep Three: Group compositionStep Four: Group dynamicsStep Five: IncentivesStep Six: RolesStep Seven: Selecting a locationStep Eight: The discussion guideStep Nine: RecordingChapter 7: How to Conduct Field Research: Getting in and Getting out with High Quality DataStep One: Types of field researchStep Two: What is the ‘field’?Step Three: Theoretical developmentStep Four: Gaining accessStep Five: You’re in, now what? Negotiating roles in the fieldStep Six: Time matters: How long is enough?Step Seven: Field notes: Data recording and organizational devicesChapter 8: How to Use Unobtrusive Methods: The Beauty of Social, Physical and Visual ArtefactsStep One: Types of unobtrusive dataStep Two: Collecting unobtrusive data: Key considerations and toolsPart III: Analysing and Writing Up Your ResearchChapter 9: How to Do Data Analysis: The Beginner’s Guide to CodingStep One: Getting preparedStep Two: Pre-coding, first cycle and second cycle codingChapter 10: How to Write up Qualitative Research: Making Your Words CountStep One: Writing up Qualitative Research: Style and SubstanceStep Two: Presenting your dataStep Three: Tips for good writingStep Four: Effectively responding to reviewer comments