You are here

Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design
Share

Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design
Choosing Among Five Approaches

Fourth Edition


January 2017 | 488 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Winner of the 2018 Textbook & Academic Authors Association's The McGuffey Longevity Award

In the revised Fourth Edition of the best-selling text, John W. Creswell and new co-author Cheryl N. Poth explore the philosophical underpinnings, history, and key elements of five qualitative inquiry approaches: narrative research, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case study. Preserving Creswell's signature writing style, the authors compare the approaches and relate research designs to each of the traditions of inquiry in a highly accessible manner. Featuring new content, articles, pedagogy, references, and expanded coverage of ethics throughout, the Fourth Edition is an ideal introduction to the theories, strategies, and practices of qualitative inquiry. 

Learn more about John W. Creswell's qualitative research and mixed methods research titles as well as his 2017 spring/summer mixed methods research workshops!


Available with Perusall—an eBook that makes it easier to prepare for class
Perusall is an award-winning eBook platform featuring social annotation tools that allow students and instructors to collaboratively mark up and discuss their SAGE textbook. Backed by research and supported by technological innovations developed at Harvard University, this process of learning through collaborative annotation keeps your students engaged and makes teaching easier and more effective. Learn more.

 
About the Authors
 
Acknowledgments
 
Analytic Table of Contents by Approach
 
List of Tables and Figures
 
1. Introduction
Purpose and Rationale for the Book

 
What Is New in This Edition

 
Positioning Ourselves

 
Definition of Qualitative Research

 
Selection of the Five Approaches

 
Key Book Readings

 
Audience

 
Organization

 
 
2. Philosophical Assumptions and Interpretive Frameworks
Questions for Discussion

 
Situating Philosophy and Interpretive Frameworks Within the Research Process

 
Philosophical Assumptions

 
Interpretive Frameworks

 
The Practice of Using Interpretive Frameworks in Qualitative Research

 
Linking Philosophy and Interpretive Frameworks in Qualitative Research

 
Chapter Check-In

 
Summary

 
Further Readings

 
 
3. Designing a Qualitative Study
Questions for Discussion

 
The Characteristics of Qualitative Research

 
When to Use Qualitative Research

 
What a Qualitative Study Requires From Us

 
The Features of a “Good” Qualitative Study

 
The Process of Designing a Qualitative Study

 
Ethics in Qualitative Research

 
The Design Structures of a Plan or Proposal

 
Chapter Check-In

 
Summary

 
Further Readings

 
 
4. Five Qualitative Approaches to Inquiry
Questions for Discussion

 
Deciding Among the Five Approaches

 
Narrative Research

 
Phenomenological Research

 
Grounded Theory Research

 
Ethnographic Research

 
Case Study Research

 
Comparing the Five Approaches

 
Chapter Check-In

 
Summary

 
Further Readings

 
 
5. Five Different Qualitative Studies
Questions for Discussion

 
A Narrative Study (Chan, 2010; see Appendix B)

 
A Phenomenological Study (Anderson & Spencer, 2002; see Appendix C)

 
A Grounded Theory Study (Harley et al., 2009; see Appendix D)

 
An Ethnographic Study (Mac an Ghaill & Haywood, 2015; see Appendix E)

 
A Case Study (Frelin, 2015; see Appendix F)

 
Differences Among the Approaches

 
Chapter Check-In

 
Summary

 
Further Readings

 
 
6. Introducing and Focusing the Study
Questions for Discussion

 
Interrelating the Study Problem, Purpose, and Questions Within Research

 
The Research Problem Statement

 
The Purpose Statement

 
The Research Questions

 
Chapter Check-In

 
Summary

 
Further Readings

 
 
7. Data Collection
Questions for Discussion

 
The Data Collection Circle

 
Five Approaches Compared

 
Chapter Check-In

 
Summary

 
Further Readings

 
 
8. Data Analysis and Representation
Questions for Discussion

 
Ethical Considerations for Data Analysis

 
Three Analysis Strategies

 
The Data Analysis Spiral

 
Analysis Within Approaches to Inquiry

 
Comparing the Five Approaches

 
Computer Use in Qualitative Data Analysis

 
Chapter Check-In

 
Summary

 
Further Readings

 
 
9. Writing a Qualitative Study
Questions for Discussion

 
Ethical Considerations for Writing

 
Several Writing Strategies

 
Overall and Embedded Writing Strategies

 
A Comparison of Writing Structures Across Approaches

 
Chapter Check-In

 
Summary

 
Further Readings

 
 
10. Standards of Validation and Evaluation
Questions for Discussion

 
Validation and Reliability in Qualitative Research

 
Evaluation Criteria

 
Comparing the Evaluation Standards of the Five Approaches

 
Chapter Check-In

 
Summary

 
Further Readings

 
 
11. “Turning the Story” and Conclusion
Turning the Story

 
A Case Study: “Campus Response to a Student Gunman”

 
A Case Study

 
A Narrative Study

 
A Phenomenology

 
A Grounded Theory Study

 
An Ethnography

 
Conclusion

 
Chapter Check-In

 
 
Appendix A. An Annotated Glossary of Terms
 
Appendix B. A Narrative Research Study—“Living in the Space Between Participant and Researcher as a Narrative Inquirer: Examining Ethnic Identity of Chinese Canadian Students as Conflicting Stories to Live By”
 
Appendix C. A Phenomenological Study—“Cognitive Representations of AIDS”
 
Appendix D. A Grounded Theory Study—“Developing Long-Term Physical Activity Participation: A Grounded Theory Study With African American Women”
 
Appendix E. An Ethnography—“British-Born Pakistani and Bangladeshi Young Men: Exploring Unstable Concepts of Muslim, Islamophobia and Racialization”
 
Appendix F. A Case Study—“Relational Underpinnings and Professionality—A Case Study of a Teacher’s Practices Involving Students With Experiences of School Failure”
 
References
 
Name Index
 
Subject Index

Supplements

Instructor Teaching Site

SAGE edge for Instructors supports teaching by making it easy to integrate quality content and create a rich learning environment for students.

  • Test banks provide a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding.
  • Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for the course.
Student Resource Site

SAGE edge for Students provides a personalized approach to help students accomplish their coursework goals in an easy-to-use learning environment.

  • Mobile-friendly eFlashcards strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts
  • Meaningful web links facilitate student use of internet resources, further exploration of topics, and responses to critical thinking questions
  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter

“The Fourth Edition of Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design is refreshingly readable and will be accessible to students of all levels. This is a great text on the subject. Kudos to the authors!"

Charles Quist-Adade
Kwantlen Polytechnic University

“In my teaching experience, I have found this to be the best text for teaching an introductory course in qualitative research, as it demonstrates in a clear and systematic manner how qualitative research can be undertaken in the five most popular approaches in contemporary applied social science research.”

William Donlan
Portland State University

“I have been using Creswell’s text since I studied the first edition as a student myself, and every edition has been a notable improvement on what was already an excellent book. I have yet to see another book that packs in as much vital information with such clarity and friendly writing.”

Grant Kien
California State University, East Bay

“Creswell and Poth’s newly revised edition of Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design represents an accessible yet in-depth resource for developing an understanding of both the main approaches to qualitative research in the social sciences, as well as the wide variation across and beyond these approaches.”

Kai A. Schafft
Penn State University

“Creswell and Poth bring clear guidelines to the area of qualitative research – an excellent resource for building the framework for a successful qualitative study.”

Roy Roehl
University of Alaska Fairbanks

“An excellent, detailed and clear guide for anyone seeking further knowledge about qualitative inquiry.”

Billie Severtsen
Washington State University

Have used in previous class

Dr Judith James-Borga
Nursing Dept, Molloy College
January 15, 2023

Excellent resource. Students have been able to understand it.

Dr Jeffrey Moore
College of Business, Anderson University
December 14, 2023

It is an excellent book and easy to use. Students love it.

Dr Nina Gjoci
Communication/Culture Std Dept, Howard University
April 5, 2023

The title fulfill all the requirements to be used in the course by graduated students. The book has a very good balance between theory fundaments and field application. The wide variety of real life examples is definitely a great value. Also, the book is very well written, so its very easy to read and understand, something that students will appreciated without a doubt.

Dr Rafael Cruz Reyes
Business Administration, Universidad de Monterrey
November 10, 2022
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:

  • Strengthened focus on inclusivity and diversity is reflected in examples and references throughout the book.
  • Additional visual depictions of the five approaches assist visual learners and enhance student understanding.
  • Two new studies in Chapter 5 provide new insights on case study and ethnographic research.
  • Greater integration of issues of data management and articles reflective of developments in data collection introduces new ways of gathering qualitative data.
  • Expanded end-of-chapter exercises give readers more opportunities to test their understanding and apply concepts.
KEY FEATURES:
  • A wide range of coverage includes comparison of theoretical frameworks, ways to employ standards of quality, and strategies for writing introductions, collecting data, analyzing data, writing a narrative, and verifying results.
  • An emphasis on social justice as one of the primary features of qualitative research can be seen throughout the book.
  • A wealth of in-book resources include a detailed glossary of terms, an analytic table of contents that organizes the material in this book according the five approaches, and complete journal articles that model designing and writing a study within each of the five approaches.

For instructors

Select a Purchasing Option


Rent or Buy eBook
ISBN: 9781506330211

Paperback
ISBN: 9781506330204
$95.00