Doing Qualitative Research

Sixth Edition
David Silverman
Doing Qualitative Research
November 2021 | 656 pages | Sage UK
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Description

Need practical advice on how to do your first qualitative research project? This book will guide you through each step of the research process: from brainstorming ideas and working with your supervisor to navigating the field to writing up your results.

Driven by examples from other students’ projects, the book features discussions on translating social problems into research topics, collecting data in the wake of a pandemic, and guidance from Qualitative Data Analysis Software expert Christian Schmieder to help you summarise, categorise, and review qualitative data. A new chapter on how much data you need answers the age-old question: ‘how many interviews or case studies are enough?’


It also includes:
- Articles and websites to build your bibliography
- Questions to test your knowledge
- Videos from world-leading qualitative experts
- Activities to dig deeper into key concepts and think critically about research
- Lessons-learned discussions with other researchers
- Exercises to help you choose the right path for your project.  

Key features: in addition to the online Silverman Workshops, the book includes top tips, end-of-chapter checklists to test your understanding, and annotated further reading so you can develop your knowledge further.

Contents

Part One: Introduction

  • Chapter 1: How To Use This Book
  • Chapter 2: What You Can (and Can’t) Do with Qualitative Research
  • What is Qualitative Research?
  • Why Do Some Researchers Prefer Qualitative Methods?
  • Are Qualitative Methods Always Appropriate?
  • Should You Use Qualitative Methods?
  • Chapter 3: Focusing a Research Project
  • Moira’s Research Diary
  • Sally’s Research Diary
  • Simon’s Research Diary

Part Two: Starting Out and Project Foundations

  • Chapter 4: Formulating a Research Question
  • Challenges
  • Solutions
  • Some Cautions
  • Chapter 5: Ethical Research
  • The Standards of Ethical Research
  • Why Ethics Matter for Your Research
  • Ethical Guidelines in Practice
  • Complex Ethical Issues
  • Research Governance
  • Conclusion: Managing Unfolding Ethical Demands
  • Chapter 6: Research Design
  • Interviews
  • Ethnographies
  • Texts
  • The Internet
  • Audio Data
  • Visual Data
  • Mixed Methods
  • Chapter 7: Using Theories
  • How Theoretical Models Shape Research
  • The Different Languages of Qualitative Research
  • Theories, Models and Hypotheses
  • Examples
  • Chapter 8: Choosing a Methodology
  • Qualitative or Quantitative?
  • Your Research Strategy
  • Choosing a Methodology: A Case Study
  • Naturally Occurring Data?
  • Mixed Methods?
  • Chapter 9: Writing a Research Proposal
  • Aim for Crystal Clarity
  • Plan Before You Write
  • Be Persuasive
  • Be Practical
  • Make Broader Links
  • A Caution: Misunderstanding Qualitative Research?

Part Three: Getting Support

  • Chapter 10: Making Good Use of Your Supervisor
  • Supervision Horror Stories
  • Student and Supervisor Expectations
  • The Early Stages
  • The Later Stages
  • Standards of Good Practice
  • Chapter 11: Getting Feedback
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • The Art of Presenting Research
  • Feedback from the People You Study

Part Four: Collecting and Analysing Data

  • Chapter 12: How much data do you need?
  • The Quantitative Model of Generalization
  • How many interviews do you need?
  • Purposive Sampling in interview research
  • What is a case study?
  • The Rationale of Case Study Design
  • Case Study Research in Practice
  • Theoretical sampling
  • Chapter 13: Collecting Your Data
  • Collecting Interview Data
  • Collecting Focus Group Data
  • Collecting Ethnographic Data
  • Collecting Internet Data
  • Collecting Your Data in the Wake of a Pandemic
  • Chapter 14: Developing Data Analysis
  • Kick-Starting Data Analysis
  • A Case Study
  • Interviews
  • Fieldnotes
  • Transcripts
  • Visual Data
  • Chapter 15: Using Qualitative Data Analysis Software: An Introduction
  • What is Qualitative Data Analysis Software?
  • Software for Qualitative Analysis? Great - so will it do analysis for me?
  • OK, so how can this software help me?
  • If I decide to use QDAS, do I have to use the program for all aspects of my analysis?
  • You continue to mention writing - why is that so important?
  • Will QDAS help my teamwork?
  • Hopes and Fears connected to using QDAS
  • What hardware do I need to run QDAS?
  • What are some strategies for learning to use QDAS, and to see if a specific software will work for my project?
  • Tips for doing analysis with QD
  • Chapter 16: Quality in Qualitative Research
  • Validity
  • Reliability
  • Chapter 17: Effective Qualitative Research
  • Keep It Simple
  • Do Not Assume That We Are Only Concerned with Subjective Experience
  • Take Advantage of Using Qualitative Data
  • Avoid Drowning in Data
  • Avoid Journalism

Part Five: Writing Up Your Research

  • Chapter 18: What Counts as ‘Originality’?
  • Originality
  • Being a Professional
  • Independent Critical Thought
  • Chapter 19: Considering Your Audience
  • The Policy-Making Audience
  • The Practitioner Audience
  • The Lay Audience
  • Chapter 20: The First Few Pages
  • The Title
  • The Abstract
  • Keywords
  • The Table of Contents
  • The Introduction
  • Chapter 21: The Literature Review Chapter
  • Recording Your Reading
  • Writing Your Literature Review
  • Practical Questions
  • Principles
  • Do You Need a Literature Review Chapter?
  • Chapter 22: The Methodology Chapter
  • What Should the Methodology Chapter Contain?
  • A Natural History Chapter?
  • Chapter 23: Writing Your Data Chapters
  • The Macrostructure
  • The Microstructure
  • Tightening up
  • Chapter 24: Your Concluding Chapter
  • The Concluding Chapter as Mutual Stimulation
  • What Exactly Should Your Concluding Chapter Contain?
  • Confessions and Trumpets
  • Theorizing as Thinking Through Data
  • Writing for Audiences
  • Why Your Concluding Chapter Can Be Fun

Part Six: The Aftermath

  • Chapter 25: Managing an Oral Examination
  • Viva Horror Stories
  • Preparing for Your Oral
  • Doing the Oral
  • Outcomes
  • Revising Your Thesis after the Oral
  • A Case Study
  • Chapter 26: Getting Published
  • The Backstage Politics of Publishing
  • Strategic Choices
  • What Journals are Looking For
  • Reviewers’ Comments
  • How to Write a Short Journal Article

Description

Need practical advice on how to do your first qualitative research project? This book will guide you through each step of the research process: from brainstorming ideas and working with your supervisor to navigating the field to writing up your results.

Driven by examples from other students’ projects, the book features discussions on translating social problems into research topics, collecting data in the wake of a pandemic, and guidance from Qualitative Data Analysis Software expert Christian Schmieder to help you summarise, categorise, and review qualitative data. A new chapter on how much data you need answers the age-old question: ‘how many interviews or case studies are enough?’


It also includes:
- Articles and websites to build your bibliography
- Questions to test your knowledge
- Videos from world-leading qualitative experts
- Activities to dig deeper into key concepts and think critically about research
- Lessons-learned discussions with other researchers
- Exercises to help you choose the right path for your project.  

Key features: in addition to the online Silverman Workshops, the book includes top tips, end-of-chapter checklists to test your understanding, and annotated further reading so you can develop your knowledge further.

Contents

Part One: Introduction

  • Chapter 1: How To Use This Book
  • Chapter 2: What You Can (and Can’t) Do with Qualitative Research
  • What is Qualitative Research?
  • Why Do Some Researchers Prefer Qualitative Methods?
  • Are Qualitative Methods Always Appropriate?
  • Should You Use Qualitative Methods?
  • Chapter 3: Focusing a Research Project
  • Moira’s Research Diary
  • Sally’s Research Diary
  • Simon’s Research Diary

Part Two: Starting Out and Project Foundations

  • Chapter 4: Formulating a Research Question
  • Challenges
  • Solutions
  • Some Cautions
  • Chapter 5: Ethical Research
  • The Standards of Ethical Research
  • Why Ethics Matter for Your Research
  • Ethical Guidelines in Practice
  • Complex Ethical Issues
  • Research Governance
  • Conclusion: Managing Unfolding Ethical Demands
  • Chapter 6: Research Design
  • Interviews
  • Ethnographies
  • Texts
  • The Internet
  • Audio Data
  • Visual Data
  • Mixed Methods
  • Chapter 7: Using Theories
  • How Theoretical Models Shape Research
  • The Different Languages of Qualitative Research
  • Theories, Models and Hypotheses
  • Examples
  • Chapter 8: Choosing a Methodology
  • Qualitative or Quantitative?
  • Your Research Strategy
  • Choosing a Methodology: A Case Study
  • Naturally Occurring Data?
  • Mixed Methods?
  • Chapter 9: Writing a Research Proposal
  • Aim for Crystal Clarity
  • Plan Before You Write
  • Be Persuasive
  • Be Practical
  • Make Broader Links
  • A Caution: Misunderstanding Qualitative Research?

Part Three: Getting Support

  • Chapter 10: Making Good Use of Your Supervisor
  • Supervision Horror Stories
  • Student and Supervisor Expectations
  • The Early Stages
  • The Later Stages
  • Standards of Good Practice
  • Chapter 11: Getting Feedback
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • The Art of Presenting Research
  • Feedback from the People You Study

Part Four: Collecting and Analysing Data

  • Chapter 12: How much data do you need?
  • The Quantitative Model of Generalization
  • How many interviews do you need?
  • Purposive Sampling in interview research
  • What is a case study?
  • The Rationale of Case Study Design
  • Case Study Research in Practice
  • Theoretical sampling
  • Chapter 13: Collecting Your Data
  • Collecting Interview Data
  • Collecting Focus Group Data
  • Collecting Ethnographic Data
  • Collecting Internet Data
  • Collecting Your Data in the Wake of a Pandemic
  • Chapter 14: Developing Data Analysis
  • Kick-Starting Data Analysis
  • A Case Study
  • Interviews
  • Fieldnotes
  • Transcripts
  • Visual Data
  • Chapter 15: Using Qualitative Data Analysis Software: An Introduction
  • What is Qualitative Data Analysis Software?
  • Software for Qualitative Analysis? Great - so will it do analysis for me?
  • OK, so how can this software help me?
  • If I decide to use QDAS, do I have to use the program for all aspects of my analysis?
  • You continue to mention writing - why is that so important?
  • Will QDAS help my teamwork?
  • Hopes and Fears connected to using QDAS
  • What hardware do I need to run QDAS?
  • What are some strategies for learning to use QDAS, and to see if a specific software will work for my project?
  • Tips for doing analysis with QD
  • Chapter 16: Quality in Qualitative Research
  • Validity
  • Reliability
  • Chapter 17: Effective Qualitative Research
  • Keep It Simple
  • Do Not Assume That We Are Only Concerned with Subjective Experience
  • Take Advantage of Using Qualitative Data
  • Avoid Drowning in Data
  • Avoid Journalism

Part Five: Writing Up Your Research

  • Chapter 18: What Counts as ‘Originality’?
  • Originality
  • Being a Professional
  • Independent Critical Thought
  • Chapter 19: Considering Your Audience
  • The Policy-Making Audience
  • The Practitioner Audience
  • The Lay Audience
  • Chapter 20: The First Few Pages
  • The Title
  • The Abstract
  • Keywords
  • The Table of Contents
  • The Introduction
  • Chapter 21: The Literature Review Chapter
  • Recording Your Reading
  • Writing Your Literature Review
  • Practical Questions
  • Principles
  • Do You Need a Literature Review Chapter?
  • Chapter 22: The Methodology Chapter
  • What Should the Methodology Chapter Contain?
  • A Natural History Chapter?
  • Chapter 23: Writing Your Data Chapters
  • The Macrostructure
  • The Microstructure
  • Tightening up
  • Chapter 24: Your Concluding Chapter
  • The Concluding Chapter as Mutual Stimulation
  • What Exactly Should Your Concluding Chapter Contain?
  • Confessions and Trumpets
  • Theorizing as Thinking Through Data
  • Writing for Audiences
  • Why Your Concluding Chapter Can Be Fun

Part Six: The Aftermath

  • Chapter 25: Managing an Oral Examination
  • Viva Horror Stories
  • Preparing for Your Oral
  • Doing the Oral
  • Outcomes
  • Revising Your Thesis after the Oral
  • A Case Study
  • Chapter 26: Getting Published
  • The Backstage Politics of Publishing
  • Strategic Choices
  • What Journals are Looking For
  • Reviewers’ Comments
  • How to Write a Short Journal Article
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Doing Qualitative Research

David Silverman
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November 2021 | 656 pages | Sage UK

Format Published Date ISBN Price

Need practical advice on how to do your first qualitative research project? This book will guide you through each step of the research process: from brainstorming ideas and working with your supervisor to navigating the field to writing up your results.

Driven by examples from other students’ projects, the book features discussions on translating social problems into research topics, collecting data in the wake of a pandemic, and guidance from Qualitative Data Analysis Software expert Christian Schmieder to help you summarise, categorise, and review qualitative data. A new chapter on how much data you need answers the age-old question: ‘how many interviews or case studies are enough?’


It also includes:
- Articles and websites to build your bibliography
- Questions to test your knowledge
- Videos from world-leading qualitative experts
- Activities to dig deeper into key concepts and think critically about research
- Lessons-learned discussions with other researchers
- Exercises to help you choose the right path for your project.  

Key features: in addition to the online Silverman Workshops, the book includes top tips, end-of-chapter checklists to test your understanding, and annotated further reading so you can develop your knowledge further.

Table Of Contents:

  • Part One: Introduction
  • Chapter 1: How To Use This Book
  • Chapter 2: What You Can (and Can’t) Do with Qualitative Research
  • What is Qualitative Research?
  • Why Do Some Researchers Prefer Qualitative Methods?
  • Are Qualitative Methods Always Appropriate?
  • Should You Use Qualitative Methods?
  • Chapter 3: Focusing a Research Project
  • Moira’s Research Diary
  • Sally’s Research Diary
  • Simon’s Research Diary
  • Part Two: Starting Out and Project Foundations
  • Chapter 4: Formulating a Research Question
  • Challenges
  • Solutions
  • Some Cautions
  • Chapter 5: Ethical Research
  • The Standards of Ethical Research
  • Why Ethics Matter for Your Research
  • Ethical Guidelines in Practice
  • Complex Ethical Issues
  • Research Governance
  • Conclusion: Managing Unfolding Ethical Demands
  • Chapter 6: Research Design
  • Interviews
  • Ethnographies
  • Texts
  • The Internet
  • Audio Data
  • Visual Data
  • Mixed Methods
  • Chapter 7: Using Theories
  • How Theoretical Models Shape Research
  • The Different Languages of Qualitative Research
  • Theories, Models and Hypotheses
  • Examples
  • Chapter 8: Choosing a Methodology
  • Qualitative or Quantitative?
  • Your Research Strategy
  • Choosing a Methodology: A Case Study
  • Naturally Occurring Data?
  • Mixed Methods?
  • Chapter 9: Writing a Research Proposal
  • Aim for Crystal Clarity
  • Plan Before You Write
  • Be Persuasive
  • Be Practical
  • Make Broader Links
  • A Caution: Misunderstanding Qualitative Research?
  • Part Three: Getting Support
  • Chapter 10: Making Good Use of Your Supervisor
  • Supervision Horror Stories
  • Student and Supervisor Expectations
  • The Early Stages
  • The Later Stages
  • Standards of Good Practice
  • Chapter 11: Getting Feedback
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • The Art of Presenting Research
  • Feedback from the People You Study
  • Part Four: Collecting and Analysing Data
  • Chapter 12: How much data do you need?
  • The Quantitative Model of Generalization
  • How many interviews do you need?
  • Purposive Sampling in interview research
  • What is a case study?
  • The Rationale of Case Study Design
  • Case Study Research in Practice
  • Theoretical sampling
  • Chapter 13: Collecting Your Data
  • Collecting Interview Data
  • Collecting Focus Group Data
  • Collecting Ethnographic Data
  • Collecting Internet Data
  • Collecting Your Data in the Wake of a Pandemic
  • Chapter 14: Developing Data Analysis
  • Kick-Starting Data Analysis
  • A Case Study
  • Interviews
  • Fieldnotes
  • Transcripts
  • Visual Data
  • Chapter 15: Using Qualitative Data Analysis Software: An Introduction
  • What is Qualitative Data Analysis Software?
  • Software for Qualitative Analysis? Great - so will it do analysis for me?
  • OK, so how can this software help me?
  • If I decide to use QDAS, do I have to use the program for all aspects of my analysis?
  • You continue to mention writing - why is that so important?
  • Will QDAS help my teamwork?
  • Hopes and Fears connected to using QDAS
  • What hardware do I need to run QDAS?
  • What are some strategies for learning to use QDAS, and to see if a specific software will work for my project?
  • Tips for doing analysis with QD
  • Chapter 16: Quality in Qualitative Research
  • Validity
  • Reliability
  • Chapter 17: Effective Qualitative Research
  • Keep It Simple
  • Do Not Assume That We Are Only Concerned with Subjective Experience
  • Take Advantage of Using Qualitative Data
  • Avoid Drowning in Data
  • Avoid Journalism
  • Part Five: Writing Up Your Research
  • Chapter 18: What Counts as ‘Originality’?
  • Originality
  • Being a Professional
  • Independent Critical Thought
  • Chapter 19: Considering Your Audience
  • The Policy-Making Audience
  • The Practitioner Audience
  • The Lay Audience
  • Chapter 20: The First Few Pages
  • The Title
  • The Abstract
  • Keywords
  • The Table of Contents
  • The Introduction
  • Chapter 21: The Literature Review Chapter
  • Recording Your Reading
  • Writing Your Literature Review
  • Practical Questions
  • Principles
  • Do You Need a Literature Review Chapter?
  • Chapter 22: The Methodology Chapter
  • What Should the Methodology Chapter Contain?
  • A Natural History Chapter?
  • Chapter 23: Writing Your Data Chapters
  • The Macrostructure
  • The Microstructure
  • Tightening up
  • Chapter 24: Your Concluding Chapter
  • The Concluding Chapter as Mutual Stimulation
  • What Exactly Should Your Concluding Chapter Contain?
  • Confessions and Trumpets
  • Theorizing as Thinking Through Data
  • Writing for Audiences
  • Why Your Concluding Chapter Can Be Fun
  • Part Six: The Aftermath
  • Chapter 25: Managing an Oral Examination
  • Viva Horror Stories
  • Preparing for Your Oral
  • Doing the Oral
  • Outcomes
  • Revising Your Thesis after the Oral
  • A Case Study
  • Chapter 26: Getting Published
  • The Backstage Politics of Publishing
  • Strategic Choices
  • What Journals are Looking For
  • Reviewers’ Comments
  • How to Write a Short Journal Article

Recent Product Reviews:

This is an excellent resource that is so much more than a book. [...] This book's strength is its accessibility and sound advice illustrated by real life examples. The book will become a well-thumbed companion to anyone committing to qualitative post graduate research in the social sciences.
Julie Truman, Evaluation and Research Exec at Skills Development Scotland
A wide-ranging and highly distinctive introduction that addresses the practices and practicalities of undertaking different forms of qualitative research. It powerfully explores the contributions of particular methods and discusses how one can address and resolve the challenges that arise at the different stages of a research project. It is an important resource for students and teachers alike.
Christian Heath, King’s Business School, King’s College London
David Silverman notes that ‘qualitative research is a contested domain’. This is something of an under-statement, and students in particular need clear and concise guidance when seeking to grasp the complexities and harness the rich potentials of qualitative research. In his extensive writings and edited collections, Silverman provides precisely what is needed. New editions of Doing Qualitative Research have come thick and fast since 2000, each succeeding edition offering clear and incisive engagement with key aspects of qualitative research and the ways in which it, and researching generally, have developed. This new edition takes account of the global upheavals and transformations that have occurred since 2017, including the new challenges posed in data gathering and engaging in the chosen research context. The result is an invaluable resource not only for early-career but also seasoned researchers.
Anthony Bryant, Professor of Informatics,Leeds Beckett University
Doing Qualitative Research has evolved and deepened over its six editions as a result not only of the many conversations between its author and its readers over the years, but also the changing circumstances of the contexts in which it has been written and read. For instance, changes to research methods as a result of policy measures designed to deal with a pandemic are discussed in this edition. There is no better guide to the practical issues of doing qualitative research and getting it published than this book by Silverman, the leader in the field.
Stewart Clegg, Emeritus Professor, UTS Business School, Management Department
There is no doubt that “Doing Qualitative Research” is a Bible for all qualitative researchers. Unlike the Bible, however, it is constantly updated, taking into account both new methods and new circumstances in which research takes place. A classic, but always relevant.
Barbara Czarniawska, Professor of Management Studies, University of Gothenburg

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