Handling Qualitative Data
A Practical Guide
Starting with what’s special about qualitative data, this book covers more than simply data collection. It guides you through skilfully, thoughtfully, and ethically designing a project, managing data, exploring records, creating and justifying sound theories, and reporting results in ways that will be heard.
With a positive and jargon-free style, it discusses how setting up, working with, making sense of and presenting data can be a springboard into learning key research skills and reflecting on methodological issues. With even more material to help researchers navigate the practicalities of working with qualitative data, this edition includes:
- ‘To do’ lists and annotated further reading suggestions to help establish ethical practice
- Guidance on tackling emerging challenges in handling qualitative data, such as uses of visualisation and online data
- Advice for communicating data to different audiences and writing a convincing research report
- Online resources that illustrate effective qualitative research in action and aid researchers in their own work, including first-hand researcher accounts, qualitative analysis software support, step-by-step guidance on software use and visualising data, and examples of communicating real-world research effectively.
Handling qualitative research is often something students struggle with, particularly at under-graduate level but often also at graduate level where at times it is a more prevalent method of choice. This dedicated book takes the student through the process from concept through design to eventual delivery of a quality research output. I highly recommend this text.
This is a very good read for postgraduate students. It gives them clear guidance and examples and has excellent further reading suggestions.
