Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods

Over the two decades since the publication of the first edition of Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods, qualitative research has risen from a novel and controversial approach to the study of social issues to a widely practiced method for understanding how people view themselves and the world around them. New journals, university courses, handbooks, and encyclopedias are now devoted to the study and practice of qualitative research, but there is still only one comprehensive, practical guide to the collection and presentation of qualitative data.

Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods, Third Edition is a completely up-to-date guide to qualitative study design, data collection, analysis, and reporting. The first part of the book surveys a range of methods for collecting qualitative data, focusing on how these techniques are applied when conducting an actual study. Separate chapters are devoted to participant observation (both pre-fieldwork and in the field), in-depth interviewing, creative new approaches such as postmodern ethnography and personal document analysis, and data analysis. The second half of the book, which covers the writing and publication of qualitative studies, clearly demonstrates how qualitative methods are used in actual practice.

Comprehensive and jargon-free, Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods, Third Edition:

• Reviews current theoretical developments in feminist research and postmodernism
• Includes examples of studies conducted in educational, human services, disability services, and health care settings
• Surveys the full range of qualitative methods and reviews the research process from design through data collection, analysis, and writing
• Provides an extensive bibliography and an appendix containing participant observation field notes.

Comprehensive, practical, and brimming with new material, Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods, Third Edition is an ideal text for graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses across a broad range of social science disciplines. It is also an excellent guidebook and resource for practicing social scientists.

Praise for Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods: A Guidebook and Resource — Third Edition.

"This book has long been my favorite text in qualitative methods. With a bit of theory, a lot of practical advice, and some wonderful examples of field notes and published research, the authors educate beginners in qualitative research and provide a useful reference for experienced researchers. This Third Edition adds clear and straightforward coverage of new developments in the field, including feminism, postmodernism, and the recent emphasis on writing issues in qualitative research." —Marjorie L. DeVault, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology Syracuse University.

"A valuable resource. Once again, Steven Taylor and Robert Bogdan have made an important contribution to the literature on qualitative research. The book is written with the same insight, clarity, and commitment to reaching their readers that has characterized their earlier collaborations." —J. David Smith, Ed.D. Dean of the School of Education and Human Services Longwood College.

"Taylor and Bogdan's updating of their classic text will be incredibly valuable to students. It is a great choice for qualitative methods courses in the social sciences." —David Goode, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology and Coordinator Program in Developmental Disabilities College of Staten Island/CUNY Author of A World Without Words 1995 winner of the John Horton Cooley Award.

"The broad spectrum of methodological possibilities, the discussion of the history of methods, and the many instructive examples make this exciting new edition an excellent text for the beginning qualitative methodologist." — Carol Rambo Ronai, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology University of Memphis.

"An engaging, highly readable, and instructive guide to established and emerging methodological conventions. This impressively straightforward and balanced guide is also the most comprehensive and usable resource for publishing qualitative research that I have seen." — Tom Skrtic, Ph.D. Professor of Special Education University of Kansas.

STEVEN J. TAYLOR is Professor of Cultural Foundations of Education and Sociology and Director of the Center on Human Policy, a disability research and policy institute, at Syracuse University. He has published widely on qualitative sociology, social and cultural aspects of disability, and disability policy. He is the Editor of Mental Retardation, a journal published by the American Association on Mental Retar-dation (AAMR), and received AAMR's 1997 Research Award.

ROBERT BOGDAN is Professor of Cultural Foundations of Education and Sociology at Syracuse University. He also serves as Director of the Social Sciences Doctoral Program and is a long-time associate of the Center on Human Policy. He has published numerous books and articles on qualitative research methods, disability studies, and the sociology of education. He is the author of the widely acclaimed book Freak Show.