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Part O n e Introduction
1 How To Use This Book
2 What You Can (and Can't) Do with Qualitative Research
2.1 Introduction 2.2 Why Do Students Use Qualitative Methods? 2.3 Are Qualitative Methods Always the Best? 2.4 Should You Use Qualitative Methods? 2.5 Concluding Remarks
3 The Research Experience I 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Moira's Research Diary 3.3 Sally's Research Diary 3.4 Simon's Research Diary 3.5 Concluding Remarks
4 The Research Experience II 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Interviews 4.3 Ethnographies 4.4 Texts 4.5 Audio Data 4.6 Visual Data 4.7 Multiple Methods 4.8 Concluding Remarks
5 What Counts as 'Originality'? 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Originality
5.3 Being a 'Professional' 5.4 Independent Critical Thought 5.5 Concluding Remarks
Part Two Star t ing O u t
6 Selecting a Topic 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Workable Research Questions 6.3 Simplistic Inductivism 6.4 The 'Kitchen Sink' Gambit 6.5 The Grand Theorist 6.6 Strategies for Simplistic Inductivists 6.7 Strategies for 'Kitchen Sinkers' 6.8 Strategies for Grand Theorists 6.9 Strategies for all Researchers 6.10 Concluding Remarks
7 Using Theories 7.1 Introduction 7.2 How Theoretical Models Shape Research 7.3 The Different Languages of Qualitative Research 7.4 Theories, Models and Hypotheses 7.5 Examples 7.6 Concluding Remarks
8 Choosing a Methodology 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Qualitative or Quantitative? 8.3 Your Research Strategy 8.4 Choosing a Methodology: a Case Study 8.5 Naturally Occurring Data? 8.6 Multiple Methods? 8.7 Concluding Remarks
9 Selecting a Case 9.1 Introduction 9.2 What Is a Case Study? 9.3 Generalizing from Cases 9.4 Types of Case Studies 9.5 Combining Qualitative Research with Quantitative
Measures of Populations 9.6 Purposive Sampling
9.7 Theoretical Sampling 9.8 Generalizability Is Present in a Single Case 9.9 Concluding Remarks
10 Ethical Research 10.1 Introduction 10.2 The Standards of Ethical Research 10.3 Why Ethics Matter for Your Research 10.4 Ethical Guidelines in Practice 10.5 Complex Ethical Issues 10.6 Research Governance 10.7 Conclusion: Managing Ethical Demands
11 Writing a Research Proposal 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Aim for Crystal Clarity 11.3 Plan Before You Write 11.4 Be Persuasive 11.5 Be Practical 11.6 Make Broader Links 11.7 Concluding Remarks
Part Three Collecting and Analysing Your Data
12 Collecting Your Data 12.1 Collecting Interview Data 12.2 Collecting Ethnographic Data 12.3 Concluding Remarks
13 Developing Data Analysis 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Kick-starting Data Analysis 13.3 A Case Study 13.4 Interviews 13.5 Fieldnotes 13.6 Transcripts 13.7 Visual Data 13.8 Concluding Remarks
14 Using Computers to Analyse Qualitative Data Clive Seale 14.1 Introduction 14.2 What CAQDAS Software Can Do for You
14.3 Advantages of CAQDAS 253 14.4 Limitations and Disadvantages 257 14.5 Theory Building with CAQDAS 261 14.6 Keyword Analysis 264 14.7 Concluding Remarks 265
15 Quality in Qualitative Research 268 15.1 Introduction 268 15.2 Validity 275 15.3 Reliability 286 15.4 Concluding Remarks 289
16 Evaluating Qualitative Research 292 16.1 Introduction 292 16.2 Two Guides for Evaluating Research 292 16.3 Four Quality Criteria 293 16.4 Applying Quality Criteria 297 16.5 Four Quality Issues Revisited 302 16.6 Concluding Remarks 308
Part Four Writing Up 311
17 The First Few Pages 313 17.1 Introduction 313 17.2 The Title 314 17.3 The Abstract 314 17.4 The List of Contents 315 17.5 The Introduction 316 17.6 Concluding Remarks 316
18 The Literature Review Chapter 318 18.1 Recording Your Reading 318 18.2 Writing Your Literature Review 320 18.3 Practical Questions 321 18.4 Principles 323 18.5 Do You Need a Literature Review Chapter? 326 18.6 Concluding Remarks 327
19 The Methodology Chapter 330 19.1 Introduction 330 19.2 What Should the Methodology Chapter Contain? 331 19.3 A Natural History Chapter? 334 19.4 Concluding Remarks 337
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20 Writing Your Data Chapters 339 20.1 Introduction 339 20.2 The Macrostructure 340 20.3 The Microstructure 345 20.4 Tightening Up 348 20.5 Concluding Remarks 349
21 Your Final Chapter 352 21.1 Introduction 352 21.2 The Final Chapter as Mutual Stimulation 353 21.3 What Exactly Should Your Final Chapter Contain? 353 21.4 Confessions and Trumpets 355 21.5 Theorizing as Thinking Through Data 356 21.6 Writing for Audiences 357 21.7 Why Your Final Chapter Can Be Fun 358 21.8 Concluding Remarks 358
Part Five Getting Support 361
22 Making Good Use of Your Supervisor 363 22.1 Introduction 363 22.2 Supervision Horror Stories 364 22.3 Student and Supervisor Expectations 365 22.4 The Early Stages 367 22.5 The Later Stages 367 22.6 Standards of Good Practice 369 22.7 Concluding Remarks 369
23 Getting Feedback 371 23.1 Introduction 371 23.2 Writing 372 23.3 Speaking 373 23.4 The Art of Presenting Research 375 23.5 Feedback from the People You Study 380 23.6 Concluding Remarks 382
Part Six Review 385
24 Effective Qualitative Research 387 24.1 Introduction 387 24.2 Keep it Simple 388 24.3 Take Advantage of Using Qualitative Data 388 24.4 Avoid Drowning in Data 389
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24.5 Avoid Journalism 389
24.6 Concluding Remarks 390
Part Seven The Aftermath 3 9 3
25 Surviving an Oral Examination 395 25.1 Introduction 395 25.2 Viva Horror Stories 396 25.3 Preparing for Your Oral 396 25.4 Doing the Oral 397 25.5 Outcomes 399 25.6 Revising Your Thesis after the Oral 399 25.7 A Case Study 400 25.8 Concluding Remarks 403
26 Getting Published 405 26.1 Introduction 405 26.2 The Backstage Politics of Publishing 406 26.3 Strategic Choices 407 26.4 What Journals Are Looking For 410 26.5 Reviewers' Comments 411 26.6 How To Write a Short Journal Article 414 26.7 Concluding Remarks 415
27 Audiences 417 27.1 Introduction 417 27.2 The Policy-Making Audience 418 27.3 The Practitioner Audience 419 27.4 The Lay Audience 420 27.5 Concluding Remarks 422
28 Finding a Job 424 28.1 Introduction 424 28.2 Learning about Vacancies 424 28.3 Getting on a Shortlist 425 28.4 The Job Interview 426 28.5 Concluding Remarks 427
Appendix: Simplified Transcription Symbols 430 Glossary 432 References 440 Author Index 453 Subject Index 455
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