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Doing Qualitative Research in Psychology
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Doing Qualitative Research in Psychology
A Practical Guide

First Edition


March 2010 | 280 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

This unique text provides a complete introduction to qualitative methods in psychology and will be ideal reading for anyone doing a course in qualitative psychology or planning a practical project using qualitative approaches. Forrester's book has been developed in tandem with its own dataset, collected specifically for the book which will be a unique resource for any students using the text. Using interview recordings (video and audio, available to readers on-line) alongside worked examples of different ways to analyze the same dataset, the handbook and the interview data together provide an invaluable resource for anybody interested in either learning or teaching qualitative methods in psychology.

Following an elucidating introduction, Doing Qualitative Research in Psychology: A Practical Guide offers clear and useful descriptions and explanations of how and why research questions are formulated and the importance of selecting appropriate methods for investigations, with a focus on semi-structured interviewing (as used in the on-line data).

The book describes four specific qualitative methods, explaining in a very clear 'how to proceed' style, how each of these methods can form the basis of a qualitative methods laboratory class, practical, or field study. It also describes precisely how research reports using qualitative methods are written, in line with the appropriate conventions of report writing in psychology.

All in all, this is simply the most useful undergraduate qualitative research methods book one could wish for.


Michael A Forrester
Introduction: This Book and How to Use It
 
PART ONE: FORMULATING RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Cath Sullivan
Theory and Method in Qualitative Research
Rachel Shaw
Conducting Literature Reviews
 
PART TWO: CONDUCTING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Stephen Gibson and Sarah Riley
Approaches to Data Collection in Qualitative Research
Siobhan Hugh-Jones
The Interview in Qualitative Research
Nigel King
Research Ethics in Qualitative Research
 
PART THREE: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS: PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
Stephen Gibson
Introducing the Data Set
Sally Wiggins and Sarah Riley
QM1: Discourse Analysis
Alasdair Gordon-Finlayson
QM2: Grounded Theory
Rachel Shaw
QM3: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Michael Forrester
QM4: Conversation Analysis
 
PART FOUR: WRITING UP
Colm Crowley
Writing up the Qualitative Methods Research Report

A comprehensive and accessible text which comes with a range of online resources that make it an essential core text for a practical 'hands-on' approach to teaching and learning qualitative research methods.

Miss Lisa Staniforth
Department of Psychology, Sheffield Hallam University
February 9, 2016

A very good introduction to different qualitative methods in psychology, and many useful examples and practical tips that helped undergraduate students a lot.

Dr Anna Zoli
Health and Life Sciences, York St John University
September 14, 2015

My first use of this text within a module and I'm delighted with it.
Clearly demonstrates the differences between the key methods of research and offers a very practical, hands on way of getting to grips with analysis. My only concern was the out of date link to the online resources. I found them eventually but clearly this will be a feature to change in any new editions.

Dr Clare Uytman
Psychology , Queen Margaret Univeristy
October 13, 2015

This is an excellent book, although student nurses would not necessarily be undertaking their own research they do explore research techniques, particularly qualitative methods and this book is recommended to use as it is easy to follow.

Mrs Julie Tweedlie
HCES, Northumbria University
May 13, 2015

A good introduction for first years

Mrs Melanie West
Department of Psychology, Newman Univ.
July 16, 2014

excellent introductory text

Dr Sue Palmer-Conn
School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University
January 22, 2013

Although this is a very useful text, it is more relevant to another first year module- I will make it available to other lecturers, although they may already be using this book on their modules.

Ms Vicki Smith
Division of Psychology, Huddersfield University
November 9, 2012

Excellent guide to all aspects of qualitative research. Useful reading for final year undergraduates, masters and PhD students.

Dr Matthew Davis
Leeds University Business School, Leeds University
October 9, 2012

This is a very well organised and presented book. I particularly like the way it presents the general issues in qualitative research then focuses on specific methodologies. I will be strongly recommending it to my students.

Dr Timothy Auburn
Faculty of Science, University of Plymouth
October 4, 2012

Great for our modules as this book covers methods not discussed in detail in general research methods books.

Ms Liz Cunningham
School of Applied Social Science, Brighton University
June 8, 2012

Sample Materials & Chapters

Introduction

Chapter One