README FIRST for a User's Guide to Qualitative Methods
- Lyn Richards
- Janice M. Morse - University of Utah, USA
The Third Edition of this popular text offers those new to qualitative inquiry a clear and practical guide to the reasons for doing qualitative research, matching questions to appropriate methods, and the tasks necessary for getting started. In their direct and friendly style, Lyn Richards and Janice M. Morse help researchers reflect on why they are working qualitatively and how to choose an appropriate method, and then approach confidently the tasks of research design, data making, coding, analyzing, and, finally, writing up results.
"This text offers current thinking in the field. The authors are well-established qualitative researchers and have pulled off a great text for the beginning researcher." - Matthew A. Eichler,
Texas State University–San Marcos
"The key strength of this text is the discussion and presentation of how to think about qualitative research. This is the only text that discusses the process of thinking before doing at any stage of the research project, from the general idea to the writing up and submitting for publication." - Ruth Segal, Seton Hall University
"The text is very clear and well organized, and accessible for new students. In comparison to many other introductory texts, it really brings to the fore the need for theoretical and methodological coherence." - Irina L. G. Todorova, Northeastern University
“This text offers current thinking in the field. The authors are well-established qualitative researchers and have pulled off a great text for the beginning researcher.”
“The key strength of this text is the discussion and presentation of how to think about qualitative research. This is the only text that discusses the process of thinking before doing at any stage of the research project from the general idea to the writing up and submitting for publication. This kind of discussion is extremely helpful for novice or experienced researchers as it helps them to take a step back in the middle of the research process, rethink clearly and improve the project.”
“This book combines the basics of qualitative research methods (why we choose qualitative over quantitative when we are trying to answer specific questions about human behavior) and the nuts and bolts of how to actually do qualitative research. I like that it explains qualitative research from conceptualization to writing up the results. Not a lot of textbooks accomplish this – they allude to a lot, but they don’t include the necessary information that this textbook includes.”
“The text is very clear and well organized, and accessible for new students. In comparison to many other introductory texts, it really brings to the fore the need for theoretical and methodological coherence.”
“An invaluable introduction to qualitative inquiry that emphasizes several points that I rarely find in other texts and, although somewhat subtle, they are extremely important for doing rigorous research.”
Very clear approach to disseminating five primary areas of qualitative research. My students appreciated the way it addressed the analysis of data in detail. In addition, the chapter on writing for different audiences and purposes was particularly valuable for beginning researchers.
I adopted it for the class I taught last fall, 2012. My apologies for not completing this earlier.
Excellent reading material for those newly embarking into qualitative research. I have recommended this as essential reading for those at the end of undergraduate programmes or at the beginning of Masters level.
This 'Readme first guide' is exactly that and very useful as a basic text to as a quick reference for definitions and descriptions of key qualitative theory and methods. At the end of each chapter there are also helpful resources for further reading and a summary of points. By its very nature this is a relatively cautious and simple format, so it will work nicely to suggest as first step readings for students starting out in qualitative methods; either as final year undergraduates or first year postgraduates doing core modules in qualitative methods.
I have been using the 2nd edition for my Qualitative Methods course for two years, so adopting the 3rd ed was a "no-brainer." The book is quite helpful: It does a lot to demystify qualitative research and assisting students students thru the elements of qualitative design. "
A good introduction to the theory and practice of doing qualitative research for beginners as well as more experienced practitioners
