Doing Qualitative Research
- David Silverman - Visiting Professor at the University of Technology, Sydney and King’s College, London, Emeritus Professor at Goldsmiths’ College, Visiting Professor Emeritus at Leeds University Business School and Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology
Qualitative Research (General)
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.
Supplements
Whether you’re at your desk planning your project, gathering data, or writing it all up, your instant supervisor, David Silverman, is here to help with resources he has curated and created to support you through every phase of your project.
Read – Chapters, Journal Articles, and Research Blogs: Find top research articles to cite and enrich your reading with your ready-made bibliography of qualitative research from SAGE books, journals, and other credible sources.
Watch – Videos: Take masterclasses from other researchers--avoid common pitfalls, get encouragement, and ensure you’re going in the right direction with short videos that explore key terms and processes in qualitative research.
Explore – Smartphone-based Activities: Put your investigative skills to the test with these quick interactive activities. Dig deeper into key concepts and understand how they might relate to your own research project via guided website searches and online discussion questions.
Practice – Multiple Choice Questions: Test your knowledge with quick questions in-text and double-check your answers and logic online.
Collaborate – Think Critically: Learn from researchers who have been in your shoes—use their examples and experiences to explore how their ‘lessons learned’ can improve your own research approach.
Apply – Your Exercise Workbook: Revise, reflect, and take notes with a series of exercises designed to help you brainstorm your own project and apply your newfound knowledge to real-world research examples.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An excellent text for students undertaking independent research on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
I'm going to use it for my course and provide its details on the students' reading list.
Extremely useful for graduate students!
This book will be a useful addition to the reading lists for those units in which students are exploring research methods.
Silverman is not only a classic but also essential for qualitative researchers - starting out our seasoned. Within the discipline of education, I can see students using this text as an essential bit of reading.
Another great general reading on the topic