The essence of research design is the ability to articulate your research question. The research question is the precursor to the study, and a well-crafted question encapsulates all of the design elements for that study. Based on more than 20 years of conducting research, collaborating with colleagues to formulate research projects, and experience advising doctoral students, author Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) A. Baker forged a research design heuristic which she introduces in this book. She starts by dissecting the anatomy of a qualitative research question, outlines the role of paradigms in research design, describes strategies to use the anatomy as a design heuristic, and provides sample cases that track the decisions two researchers made while formulating a qualitative question. The book concludes with advice on how to move from the research question to the proposal. Throughout, the author provides handy worksheets that readers can complete as they work on crafting their own research question.

Courses in management research have traditionally focused on quantitative techniques, and no available text adequately covers the many different perspectives within the qualitative model or shows which qualitative techniques work best in different settings. "Crafting Qualitative Research" fills this need. In clear and readable prose, this comprehensive text offers a detailed guide to the rich diversity of qualitative research traditions, with examples and applications specifically designed for the field of management. Each of the book's four main sections includes a descriptive "tree" diagram that lays out the historical origins of that section's traditions. Each chapter is devoted to a specific methodology and includes historical origins and development; techniques and applications; current controversies and emerging issues; and a summary box highlighting that method's utility. With its detailed and easy-to-understand coverage, this will be the text of choice for any instructor who wants to include the qualitative approach in a research methods course, as well as a useful resource for anyone doing research in the post-positivist traditions.

With clear instructions for developing a research design and complementary research tools, this book is not about describing or theorizing qualitative methods, but how researchers actually create and execute these methods. Helping students conquer the practical issues many novice researchers face, the book provides them with the tools they need to answer critical questions such as: what are some ways to sample potential participants? how do I construct an interview schedule? should I be thinking of a single case study or a comparative study? what and how should I record in the field? what other sources of data should I consider?

Focused on developing the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological knowledge needed to engage in rigorous and valid research, this introductory text provides practical explanations, exercises, and advice for how to conduct qualitative research—from design through implementation, analysis, and writing up research. Qualitative Research presents the field in a unique and meaningful way, and helps readers understand what authors Sharon M. Ravitch and Nicole Mittenfelner Carl call “criticality” in qualitative research by communicating its foundations and processes with clarity and simplicity while still capturing complexity. Packed with real-life examples of questions, issues, and situations that stem from the authors’ and their students’ research, the book humanizes the qualitative research endeavor, illustrates the types of scenarios that arise, and emphasizes the importance of actively considering paradigmatic values throughout every stage of the research process. In every chapter, the authors illustrate the qualitative research process as decidedly ideological, political, and subjective using themes of criticality, reflexivity, collaboration, and rigor.

This book provides an overview of qualitative research models and their applications in organization and management studies. Focusing on the philosophical underpinnings and practical implications of diverse qualitative methods, this comprehensive text offers a guided tour of the options available to qualitative researchers, highlighting aspects of research design, execution, and analysis in each tradition. In clear, readable prose, the author offers insight into the ambiguities, tensions, and interconnections of diverse qualitative research traditions without resorting to oversimplification. The book’s four main sections include examples and applications specifically designed for the field of management. Each chapter is devoted to a specific methodology, describing techniques and applications as well as current controversies and emerging issues. Summary boxes and practical examples will help the reader to navigate this terrain and generate research that is both relevant and of high scholarly quality. With its detailed and easy-to-understand coverage, this will be the text of choice for students working with qualitative methods in organization studies, consumer research, public administration, information systems, and media and communication studies. Instructors teaching qualitative approaches in a research methods course and researchers wanting to acquaint themselves with non-positivist traditions will also find this a useful resource.

Finding your academic voice to tell a strong story about your research is a difficult hurdle for many qualitative writers. Qualitative Research Writing: Credible and Trustworthy Writing from Beginning to End takes you through the writing process, starting with how you think about your research and building towards presenting credible and trustworthy work. Authors Michelle Salmona, Dan Kaczynski, and Eli Lieber offer practical guidance based on over two decades working with faculty and doctoral students. By integrating digital tools and qualitative research steps into the writing process, readers will seamlessly move from the research process to writing. This brief text will help writers make sound arguments and develop their authorial voices to build connections between themselves and their intended audience.

Framing research as the process of asking and answering questions, this book demonstrates how to identify good research questions and how to structure and explore them successfully. Whether you are just beginning your research journey or are a seasoned traveller, it helps you: • Decide what you want to achieve with your research • Know what options you have to explore your goals • Navigate the nuances of different research approaches • Understand the decisions of other researchers • Choose what path best suits your project. Through real-life examples demonstrating different types of research, the book introduces qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches so you can compare different methods at every stage of the research process, from initial idea and design to data collection and analysis. This new edition includes new chapters on collecting and analysing mixed methods data, and additional content on qualitative data analysis. New examples reflect the cultural and global diversity of social research, and extra visual aids and summaries support understanding of key research concepts and stages. The book is accompanied by an online teaching guide, including videos, additional case studies, annotated articles, and critical thinking exercises.

The Craft of Qualitative Research is a consultative handbook that offers students a superb introduction to the practice of conducting qualitative research. Kleinknecht, van den Scott, and Sanders bring together a rich collection of perspectives, ideas, and experiences from scholars and professionals who span all stages of the academic career, from graduate students to emeritus professors. Highly accessible and practical, this text equips readers with the tools necessary to manage and overcome obstacles, biases, and power dynamics while researching in the field. Over the course of ten sections, every stage of the qualitative research process is explored, including planning, reflecting on ethical considerations, gaining entry to the field, collecting and analyzing data, leaving the field, and disseminating findings. Representing a diversity of academic disciplines, the fifty-five contributors share their knowledge gained and challenges encountered on the ground, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the reality of doing fieldwork. Filled with sound advice, engaging stories, and active learning exercises, this edited collection will help develop the skills and confidence needed to conduct qualitative research, making it the perfect resource for students in the social sciences, particularly sociology, anthropology, criminology, health studies, and social work.

Learn how to use qualitative research as a tool for institutional research. Although institutional researchers often employ informal qualitative methods (their experiences and anecdotal observations), this volume argues that true organizational intelligence is facilitated by formalizing the qualitative data collection and analysis process in institutional research. To that end, it presents a systematic approach to qualitative research in institutional research that connects technical and analytical skills with issues awareness and knowledge of context. Topics covered include: Technical/analytical awareness practices Issues awareness Practices that achieve contextual awareness. This is the 174th volume of this Jossey-Bass quarterly report series. Timely and comprehensive, New Directions for Institutional Research provides planners and administrators in all types of academic institutions with guidelines in such areas as resource coordination, information analysis, program evaluation, and institutional management.