Bloomsbury Research Methods – serie

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Rhythmanalysis?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.In recent years, there has been growing interest in Henri Lefebvre’s posthumously published volume, Rhythmanalysis. For Lefebvre and subsequent scholars, rhythmanalysis is a research strategy which offers a means of thinking space and time together in the study of everyday life, and this remains its strength and appeal.This book addresses the task of how to do rhythmanalysis. It discusses the history and development of rhythmanalysis from Lefebvre to the present day in a range of fields including cultural history and studies of place, work and nature. For Lefebvre, it is necessary to be ‘grasped by’ a rhythm at a bodily level in order to grasp it. And yet we also need critical distance to fully understand it. Rhythmanalysis is therefore both corporeal and conceptual. This book considers how the body is directly deployed as a research tool in rhythmanalytical research as well as how audio-visual methods can get at rhythm beyond the capacity of the senses to perceive it. In particular, the book includes detailed discussion of research on different forms of mobility – from driving to dancing – and on the social life of markets – from finance to fish.Dawn Lyon highlights the gains, limitations and lively potential of rhythmanalysis for spatially, temporally and sensually attuned practices of research. This engaging text will be of interest to students and researchers in sociology, criminology, socio-legal studies, geography, urban studies, architecture, anthropology, economics and cultural studies.

Embodied inquiry is the process of using embodied approaches in order to study, explore or investigate a topic. But what does it actually mean to be 'embodied’? This book explores why and how we use our bodies in order to research, what an embodied approach brings to a research project, and the kinds of considerations that need to be taken into account to research in this way.We all have bodies, feelings, emotions and experiences that affect the questions we are interested in, the ways in which we choose to approach finding out the answers to those questions, and the patterns we see in the data we gather as a result. Embodied Inquiry foregrounds these questions of positionality and reflexivity in research. It considers how a project or study may be designed to take these into account and why multimodal and creative approaches to research may be used to capture embodied experiences. The book offers insights into how to analyse the types of data emerging from embodied inquiries, and the ethical considerations that are important to consider.Accounting for the interdisciplinary nature of the field, this book has been written to be a concise primer into Embodied Inquiry for research students, scholars and practitioners alike.

Embodied inquiry is the process of using embodied approaches in order to study, explore or investigate a topic. But what does it actually mean to be 'embodied’? This book explores why and how we use our bodies in order to research, what an embodied approach brings to a research project, and the kinds of considerations that need to be taken into account to research in this way.We all have bodies, feelings, emotions and experiences that affect the questions we are interested in, the ways in which we choose to approach finding out the answers to those questions, and the patterns we see in the data we gather as a result. Embodied Inquiry foregrounds these questions of positionality and reflexivity in research. It considers how a project or study may be designed to take these into account and why multimodal and creative approaches to research may be used to capture embodied experiences. The book offers insights into how to analyse the types of data emerging from embodied inquiries, and the ethical considerations that are important to consider.Accounting for the interdisciplinary nature of the field, this book has been written to be a concise primer into Embodied Inquiry for research students, scholars and practitioners alike.

This book provides a non-technical overview of the science and tools behind geographic information systems and geographic information science for researchers, students and academics who do not have a GIS or Geography background. The book covers the history of GIS, from John Snow’s Cholera map (1854) right up to today's software and data and cutting-edge analysis techniques. Bearman goes on to cover how to find, use and evaluate the latest data sets to critiquing existing maps, highlighting limitations and common mistakes. A variety of different GIS methods including Google Maps, GPS, big data, context and choropleth maps are discussed and the pros and cons of each are highlighted allowing you to choose the appropriate method or piece of software for your own research. This is the ideal book for anyone thinking about using GIS in their own research.

This book provides a non-technical overview of the science and tools behind geographic information systems and geographic information science for researchers, students and academics who do not have a GIS or Geography background. The book covers the history of GIS, from John Snow’s Cholera map (1854) right up to today's software and data and cutting-edge analysis techniques. Bearman goes on to cover how to find, use and evaluate the latest data sets to critiquing existing maps, highlighting limitations and common mistakes. A variety of different GIS methods including Google Maps, GPS, big data, context and choropleth maps are discussed and the pros and cons of each are highlighted allowing you to choose the appropriate method or piece of software for your own research. This is the ideal book for anyone thinking about using GIS in their own research.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Diary Method?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This book provides an up-to-date, concise, and engaging introduction to solicited diary method, aimed at researchers and students who want to employ this methodology in their projects. Its primary focus is on the use of solicited diary method in the context of social and health-related research, but it also offers useful guidance on the everyday practice of diary-keeping.The authors draw on published research that makes use of this method, including their own independent studies involving older adults and family carers. The book opens with an overview of the development of diary techniques and a discussion of the value of the method, and provides an overview of the different ways of collecting and using diary data and techniques for analysing it. Key ethical issues are sensitively discussed. The book engages with new and novel developments in solicited diary method by engaging with the use of technology including discussion of how digital devices, email exchanges, social media such as Facebook, weblogs and micro-blogging such as Twitter, have the potential to change the meaning and nature of diary-keeping.The book includes a variety of visuals to enhance understanding, including a tabulated summary of the main strengths and limitations of using diary method, and strategies for mitigating limitations.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Diary Method?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This book provides an up-to-date, concise, and engaging introduction to solicited diary method, aimed at researchers and students who want to employ this methodology in their projects. Its primary focus is on the use of solicited diary method in the context of social and health-related research, but it also offers useful guidance on the everyday practice of diary-keeping.The authors draw on published research that makes use of this method, including their own independent studies involving older adults and family carers. The book opens with an overview of the development of diary techniques and a discussion of the value of the method, and provides an overview of the different ways of collecting and using diary data and techniques for analysing it. Key ethical issues are sensitively discussed. The book engages with new and novel developments in solicited diary method by engaging with the use of technology including discussion of how digital devices, email exchanges, social media such as Facebook, weblogs and micro-blogging such as Twitter, have the potential to change the meaning and nature of diary-keeping.The book includes a variety of visuals to enhance understanding, including a tabulated summary of the main strengths and limitations of using diary method, and strategies for mitigating limitations.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What are Community Studies?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.In the age of globalization and the changing welfare state, community relations are now more important than ever. This book gives an overview of the community studies field, with particular focus on the research methods used, and how they have evolved in recent years. Defining the key terms in the field, it outlines the history of the methods used in community studies and uses examples and case studies to illuminate the theory.This book captures the organization of modern community life and shows how current researchers are working with broader and more imaginative definitions of community. Responding to criticisms of the field, Graham Crow challenges our traditional notions of communities and how they are analysed. Graham Crow's text will be a vital resource to researchers in the field.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What are Community Studies?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.In the age of globalization and the changing welfare state, community relations are now more important than ever. This book gives an overview of the community studies field, with particular focus on the research methods used, and how they have evolved in recent years. Defining the key terms in the field, it outlines the history of the methods used in community studies and uses examples and case studies to illuminate the theory.This book captures the organization of modern community life and shows how current researchers are working with broader and more imaginative definitions of community. Responding to criticisms of the field, Graham Crow challenges our traditional notions of communities and how they are analysed. Graham Crow's text will be a vital resource to researchers in the field.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Inclusive Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This book describes and defines inclusive research, outlining how to recognize it, understand it, do it, and know when it is done well. In doing so it addresses the areas of overlap and distinctiveness in relation to participatory, emancipatory, user-led and partnership research as well as exploring the various practices encompassed within each of these inclusive approaches.The author, Melanie Nind, focuses on how and why more inclusive approaches to research have evolved. She positions inclusive research within the key debates and shifts in policy, defines key ideas and terms, discusses the contested nature of inclusive research and illustrates a range of approaches using exemplars. The aim is to discuss the range of challenges involved and to examine the degree to which these challenges have so far been met.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Inclusive Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This book describes and defines inclusive research, outlining how to recognize it, understand it, do it, and know when it is done well. In doing so it addresses the areas of overlap and distinctiveness in relation to participatory, emancipatory, user-led and partnership research as well as exploring the various practices encompassed within each of these inclusive approaches.The author, Melanie Nind, focuses on how and why more inclusive approaches to research have evolved. She positions inclusive research within the key debates and shifts in policy, defines key ideas and terms, discusses the contested nature of inclusive research and illustrates a range of approaches using exemplars. The aim is to discuss the range of challenges involved and to examine the degree to which these challenges have so far been met.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Quantitative Longitudinal Data Analysis?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.Across the social sciences, there is widespread agreement that quantitative longitudinal research designs offer analysts powerful scientific data resources. But, to date, many texts on analysing longitudinal social analysis surveys have been written from a statistical, rather than a social science data analysis perspective and they lack adequate coverage of common practical challenges associated with social science data analyses.This book provides a practical and up-to-date introduction to influential approaches to quantitative longitudinal data analysis in the social sciences. The book introduces definitions and terms, explains the relative attractions of such a longitudinal design, and offers an introduction to the main techniques of analysis, explaining their requirements, statistical properties and their substantive contribution.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Quantitative Longitudinal Data Analysis?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.Across the social sciences, there is widespread agreement that quantitative longitudinal research designs offer analysts powerful scientific data resources. But, to date, many texts on analysing longitudinal social analysis surveys have been written from a statistical, rather than a social science data analysis perspective and they lack adequate coverage of common practical challenges associated with social science data analyses.This book provides a practical and up-to-date introduction to influential approaches to quantitative longitudinal data analysis in the social sciences. The book introduces definitions and terms, explains the relative attractions of such a longitudinal design, and offers an introduction to the main techniques of analysis, explaining their requirements, statistical properties and their substantive contribution.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Rhythmanalysis?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.In recent years, there has been growing interest in Henri Lefebvre’s posthumously published volume, Rhythmanalysis. For Lefebvre and subsequent scholars, rhythmanalysis is a research strategy which offers a means of thinking space and time together in the study of everyday life, and this remains its strength and appeal.This book addresses the task of how to do rhythmanalysis. It discusses the history and development of rhythmanalysis from Lefebvre to the present day in a range of fields including cultural history and studies of place, work and nature. For Lefebvre, it is necessary to be ‘grasped by’ a rhythm at a bodily level in order to grasp it. And yet we also need critical distance to fully understand it. Rhythmanalysis is therefore both corporeal and conceptual. This book considers how the body is directly deployed as a research tool in rhythmanalytical research as well as how audio-visual methods can get at rhythm beyond the capacity of the senses to perceive it. In particular, the book includes detailed discussion of research on different forms of mobility – from driving to dancing – and on the social life of markets – from finance to fish.Dawn Lyon highlights the gains, limitations and lively potential of rhythmanalysis for spatially, temporally and sensually attuned practices of research. This engaging text will be of interest to students and researchers in sociology, criminology, socio-legal studies, geography, urban studies, architecture, anthropology, economics and cultural studies.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Qualitative Longitudinal Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This volume offers a new introduction to an evolving research method in the social sciences. Qualitative Longitudinal (QL) research is conducted through time. In its qualitative dimensions it opens up the potential to ‘think dynamically’ in creative, flexible and innovative ways. QL enquiry is rooted in a long-established tradition of qualitative temporal research, spanning the fields of social anthropology, sociological re-studies and biographical research. But over the past two decades, a growing body of scholarship has begun to document this approach and explore its theoretical underpinnings. This in turn has fuelled a growing interest in and rapid uptake of QL methodology across the disciplines and in international context.This practical volume will be a first port of call for students and researchers wishing to use QL research in their own projects. The chapters follow a logical development, from conceptual and methodological foundations, to research practice and ethics, to the generation and analysis of data. Each chapter offers practical examples drawn from the research field to illustrate key themes and the rich possibilities for new applications.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Qualitative Longitudinal Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This volume offers a new introduction to an evolving research method in the social sciences. Qualitative Longitudinal (QL) research is conducted through time. In its qualitative dimensions it opens up the potential to ‘think dynamically’ in creative, flexible and innovative ways. QL enquiry is rooted in a long-established tradition of qualitative temporal research, spanning the fields of social anthropology, sociological re-studies and biographical research. But over the past two decades, a growing body of scholarship has begun to document this approach and explore its theoretical underpinnings. This in turn has fuelled a growing interest in and rapid uptake of QL methodology across the disciplines and in international context.This practical volume will be a first port of call for students and researchers wishing to use QL research in their own projects. The chapters follow a logical development, from conceptual and methodological foundations, to research practice and ethics, to the generation and analysis of data. Each chapter offers practical examples drawn from the research field to illustrate key themes and the rich possibilities for new applications.

In this book, Mertens provides a brief history of the emergence of mixed methods research and numerous examples to illustrate its application in different disciplines and geographic areas. Mixed methods approaches offer researchers an exciting opportunity to explore new combinations of methods in diverse contexts: the design possibilities are endless and can be incorporated in many different approaches. The book presents case studies to illustrate different philosophical lenses for mixed methods design, including post-positivism, constructivism, pragmatism, transformative, Indigenous, and dialectical pluralism. The book features interviews with researchers about their experiences and practices. They discuss a variety of topics including innovative research design, use of technology and big data, preparation of mixed methods researchers, and how this research can contribute to a more just and equitable future.

In this book, Mertens provides a brief history of the emergence of mixed methods research and numerous examples to illustrate its application in different disciplines and geographic areas. Mixed methods approaches offer researchers an exciting opportunity to explore new combinations of methods in diverse contexts: the design possibilities are endless and can be incorporated in many different approaches. The book presents case studies to illustrate different philosophical lenses for mixed methods design, including post-positivism, constructivism, pragmatism, transformative, Indigenous, and dialectical pluralism. The book features interviews with researchers about their experiences and practices. They discuss a variety of topics including innovative research design, use of technology and big data, preparation of mixed methods researchers, and how this research can contribute to a more just and equitable future.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Qualitative Interviewing?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This book is a step-by-step guide for new and experienced social science researchers looking to use interviews in their projects. Rosalind Edwards and Janet Holland explain a range of interview types and practices, providing real research examples as informative illustrations of qualitative interviewing in practice, and the use of a range of creative interview tools. This new and expanded edition includes:- recent developments in the radical critique of interviews debate focusing on form and content of interviews;- the strategic shift to online interviewing in response to the Covid-19 pandemic;- discussion of the decolonization of methodology and research, and the growing attention to indigenous methodologies for generating data;- an assessment of the changing landscape for qualitative interviewing.The authors explore the use of new technologies as well as issues around asking and listening, and power dynamics in research. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book concludes with an updated annotated bibliography of key texts and journals in the field.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Qualitative Interviewing?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This book is a step-by-step guide for new and experienced social science researchers looking to use interviews in their projects. Rosalind Edwards and Janet Holland explain a range of interview types and practices, providing real research examples as informative illustrations of qualitative interviewing in practice, and the use of a range of creative interview tools. This new and expanded edition includes:- recent developments in the radical critique of interviews debate focusing on form and content of interviews;- the strategic shift to online interviewing in response to the Covid-19 pandemic;- discussion of the decolonization of methodology and research, and the growing attention to indigenous methodologies for generating data;- an assessment of the changing landscape for qualitative interviewing.The authors explore the use of new technologies as well as issues around asking and listening, and power dynamics in research. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book concludes with an updated annotated bibliography of key texts and journals in the field.

This open access book introduces vignette research to new and experienced researchers by guiding them through its history, theory and underlying principles before delving into step-by-step practical guidance on how to do vignette research.Vignette research is an innovative qualitative, narrative and phenomenological research methodology that has gained international recognition, sparking interest from a wide range of individuals and institutions in global contexts. Vignettes are concise narratives, which capture human experiences in real life settings. They reveal surprising or intriguing facets and intangible moments. The experiential narratives resonate with readers and reduce the distance between the researcher and the researched. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

This open access book introduces vignette research to new and experienced researchers by guiding them through its history, theory and underlying principles before delving into step-by-step practical guidance on how to do vignette research.Vignette research is an innovative qualitative, narrative and phenomenological research methodology that has gained international recognition, sparking interest from a wide range of individuals and institutions in global contexts. Vignettes are concise narratives, which capture human experiences in real life settings. They reveal surprising or intriguing facets and intangible moments. The experiential narratives resonate with readers and reduce the distance between the researcher and the researched. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Narrative Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.Narrative research has become a catchword in the social sciences today, promising new fields of inquiry and creative solutions to persistent problems. This book brings together ideas about narrative from a variety of contexts across the social sciences and synthesizes understandings of the field. Rather than focusing on theory, it examines how narrative research is conducted and applied. It operates as a practical introductory guide, basic enough for first-time researchers, but also as a window onto the more complex questions and difficulties that all researchers in this area face. The authors guide readers through current debates about how to obtain and analyse narrative data, about the nature of narrative, the place of the researcher, the limits of researcher interpretations, and the significance of narrative work in applied and in broader political contexts.This new edition includes updated references and a greater focus on digitality throughout. It addresses social justice and decoloniality more explicitly, centrally and consistently, drawing on examples around Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, climate change and Extinction Rebellion, and Covid and pandemic narratives.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Narrative Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.Narrative research has become a catchword in the social sciences today, promising new fields of inquiry and creative solutions to persistent problems. This book brings together ideas about narrative from a variety of contexts across the social sciences and synthesizes understandings of the field. Rather than focusing on theory, it examines how narrative research is conducted and applied. It operates as a practical introductory guide, basic enough for first-time researchers, but also as a window onto the more complex questions and difficulties that all researchers in this area face. The authors guide readers through current debates about how to obtain and analyse narrative data, about the nature of narrative, the place of the researcher, the limits of researcher interpretations, and the significance of narrative work in applied and in broader political contexts.This new edition includes updated references and a greater focus on digitality throughout. It addresses social justice and decoloniality more explicitly, centrally and consistently, drawing on examples around Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, climate change and Extinction Rebellion, and Covid and pandemic narratives.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Online Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This book provides a concise and accessible introduction to online research, covering ethics, surveys, focus groups, ethnographies, experiments and the gathering and analysis of naturally occurring digital/big data. It also asks how researchers should use the digital environment to communicate their research and looks forward to the future of the field, asking what the next ten years hold. Online research is rarely well served by the direct translation of onsite methods onto the internet. Rather, researchers need to reflect, adapt and redesign research as they change the mode through which they conduct their research. Featuring an updated glossary, two new chapters and comprehensive updates throughout, this new edition provides new and experienced researchers with the foundation they need to conduct online research projects.

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Online Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series.This book provides a concise and accessible introduction to online research, covering ethics, surveys, focus groups, ethnographies, experiments and the gathering and analysis of naturally occurring digital/big data. It also asks how researchers should use the digital environment to communicate their research and looks forward to the future of the field, asking what the next ten years hold. Online research is rarely well served by the direct translation of onsite methods onto the internet. Rather, researchers need to reflect, adapt and redesign research as they change the mode through which they conduct their research. Featuring an updated glossary, two new chapters and comprehensive updates throughout, this new edition provides new and experienced researchers with the foundation they need to conduct online research projects.

This open access book introduces anecdote research to new and experienced researchers by guiding them through its history, theory and underlying principles before delving into step-by-step practical guidance on how to do anecdote research.Anecdote research is an innovative qualitative, narrative and phenomenologically-oriented research methodology that has now gained international recognition, sparking interest from a wide range of institutions, contexts and individuals. Anecdotes are concise, noteworthy stories in which particularly impactful events are condensed by the researcher from transcribed interviews, conversations and impromptu narratives. They can be used in a range of research contexts looking at meaningful recalled experiences, and are especially relevant for longitudinal studies.The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

This open access book introduces anecdote research to new and experienced researchers by guiding them through its history, theory and underlying principles before delving into step-by-step practical guidance on how to do anecdote research.Anecdote research is an innovative qualitative, narrative and phenomenologically-oriented research methodology that has now gained international recognition, sparking interest from a wide range of institutions, contexts and individuals. Anecdotes are concise, noteworthy stories in which particularly impactful events are condensed by the researcher from transcribed interviews, conversations and impromptu narratives. They can be used in a range of research contexts looking at meaningful recalled experiences, and are especially relevant for longitudinal studies.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

This book introduces the non-specialist reader to the principal ideas, nature and purpose of social network analysis. Social networks operate on many levels, from families up to the level of nations, and play a critical role in determining the way problems are solved, organizations are run, and the degree to which individuals achieve their goals. Social network theory maps these relationships between individual actors and has become hugely influential across the social sciences. Assuming no prior knowledge of quantitative sociology, and avoiding technicalities, this book presents the key ideas in context through examples and illustrations. Using a structured approach to understanding work in this area, John Scott signposts further reading and online sources so that readers can develop their knowledge and skills to become practitioners of this research method. A series of Frequently Asked Questions takes the reader through the main objections raised against social network analysis. The new edition updates the overview of the discipline with more recent work and current research in sociology.