Qualitative Research in Practice

A practical introduction to qualitative research across fields and disciplines

Qualitative Research in Practice offers a hands-on introduction to qualitative research design, methods, data, and analysis. Designed as a companion text for any course involving qualitative research, this book explores the different types of qualitative studies with relevant examples and analysis by the researchers themselves. The workbook format makes it easy to use in the classroom or the field, and the depth of information makes it a valuable resource for students of social work, psychology, counseling, management, education, health care, or any field in which qualitative research is conducted.

While quantitative research is primarily concerned with numerical data, qualitative research methods are more flexible, responsive, and open to contextual information. To a qualitative researcher, a situation is defined by the participants’ perspectives, making it the primary method of inquiry for understanding social phenomena through the lens of experience. This book introduces the essentials of qualitative research, bolstered by expert analysis and discussion that provides deeper insight than a traditional textbook format would allow.

• Understand the fundamental nature of qualitative research
• Learn how to accurately assess and evaluate qualitative research
• Explore qualitative research’s many forms and applications
• Gain insight on qualitative research in a variety of fields and disciplines

How does one codify an experience? Is it possible to measure emotion in units? Qualitative research fills the void where numbers cannot reach. It is the best tool we have for studying the unquantifiable aspects of the human experience, and it is an essential tool in a wide variety of fields. Qualitative Research in Practice provides translatable skills in a practical format to quicken your transition from “learning” to “using.”

Preface ix

About the Editors xiii

Part One: The Nature of Qualitative Inquiry 1

1 Introduction to Qualitative Research 3

2 Assessing and Evaluating Qualitative Research 19

Part Two: Examples of Qualitative Research for Discussion and Analysis 33

Interpretive Qualitative Research 33

3 Roles Traditional Healers Play in Cancer Treatment in Malaysia: Implications for Health Promotion and Education 37

How Context Shapes the Design and Implementation of a Qualitative Study 54
Sharan B. Merriam

4 The Influence of Mentorship and Role Models on University Women Leaders’ Career Paths to
University Presidency 57

Mutual Reflections on Conceptual Frameworks in Qualitative Research 84
Lilian H. Hill, Celeste A. Wheat

Phenomenology 87

5 Hiking Leisure: Generating a Different Existence Within Everyday Life 91

Hiking the Phenomenological Psychological Method 109
Rob Bongaardt, Børge Baklien, Idun Røseth

6 Being In-Between: The Lived Experience of Becoming a Prosthesis User Following the Loss of a Leg 113

Caught Up Between Ethics and Methodology: Reflections Addressing the Unintended Presence of a Participant’s Partner During a Phenomenological Interview 131
Annelise Norlyk

Ethnography 135

7 Boxing Culture and Serious Leisure Among North American Youth: An Embodied Ethnography 139

Embodied Ethnography as a Research Approach: Further Reflections and Insights on Boxing as Serious Leisure 158
Nuno F. Ribeiro

8 A Sojourn Experience in the Land of Fire and Ice: Examining Cultural Competence and Employee Well-Being Through an Autoethnographic Exploration 161

Managing the Burden and Blessing of Autoethnography 182
Robin S. Grenier

Grounded Theory 185

9 A Grounded Theory of Professional Learning in an Authentic Online Professional Development Program 189

Navigating the Sea of Data With Grounded Theory 212
Hanna Teräs

10 Openness and Praxis: Exploring the Use of Open Educational Practices in Higher Education 215

Why Constructivist Grounded Theory? and the Importance of Researcher Reflexivity 235
Catherine Cronin

Narrative Inquiry 239

11 Chandra’s Story: An Adult Education Student Journeys From Fear to Gratitude 243

Narrative Inquiry: Good Things Take Time 255
Robin L. Danzak

12 Youths’ and Adults’ Stories Related to the Background for ADHD Assessment 259

Reflections on a Narrative Approach to Autobiographical Stories 280
Bjørg Mari Hannås

Arts-Based Research 283

13 Drama, Performance Ethnography, and Self-Esteem:Listening to Youngsters With Dyslexia and Their Parents 287

When Participants Become Researchers 313
Ruth Falzon, Dione Mifsud

14 Voices From the Field: Preparing Teachers for High Need Schools 317

Dramatizing Data, Creating Art, and Finding Community:Ethnodrama/Arts-Based Research 331
Tabitha Dell’Angelo

Qualitative Action Research 335

15 Action Research by Practitioners: A Case Study of a High School’s Attempt to Create Transformational Change 339

Reflecting on Taking Action: Three Suggestions 361
Jeffrey Glanz

16 Collective Voices: Engagement of Hartford Community Residents Through Participatory Action Research 365

Trust the Process: Reflections on Participatory Action Research 382
Karen Brown McLean, Kenneth Williamson

Mixed Methods 385

17 College Students and Yik Yak: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study 389

The Best of Both Worlds: Mixed Methodologies 409
Cathlin V. Clark-Gordon

18 “Talk to Me”: A Mixed-Methods Study on Preferred Physician Behaviors During End-of-Life Communication from the Patient Perspective 413

The Sum Is Greater Than Its Parts: Using Mixed Methods to Answer a Complex Healthcare Question 431
Amane Abdul-Razzak

Name Index 435

Subject Index 451

SHARAN B. MERRIAM is a professor emerita of adult and continuing education and qualitative research at the University of Georgia, in Athens. She is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than thirty books, including Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation, co-authored with Elizabeth Tisdell.

ROBIN S. GRENIER is an associate professor of adult learning at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. She has taught qualitative research courses at the graduate level for over 14 years, along with researching and consulting on qualitative inquiry in education and human resource development.

A Practical Look at the Process of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research seeks to discover and portray participants' perspectives, uncovering new insights into our lives and social contexts. Within that paradigm, there are numerous qualitative research designs, each guiding researchers toward this underlying goal in a slightly different way. In this Second Edition of Qualitative Research in Practice, Sharan Merriam and Robin Grenier have assembled a set of 16 articles exemplifying 8 key qualitative designs, allowing you to see how each approach informs real-world research. Each article is accompanied by the researchers' reflections, so you can share in the process of discovery that characterizes the qualitative process.

This updated edition features a more precise focus on research designs that are entirely qualitative or that have a large qualitative component. Additionally, this book:

• Clarifies the philosophical underpinnings of qualitative research and its difference from quantitative approaches
• Provides concise descriptions of eight major qualitative designs, including phenomenology, grounded theory, and arts-based research
• Offers a rubric of strategies researchers can employ to assess trustworthiness and rigor in qualitative research reports

Qualitative Research in Practice is a valuable resource for students and practitioners across disciplines, perfect for all those interested in improving their understanding of how qualitative research is carried out.