Qualitative Planning Methodology

This book explains how to use and adapt these techniques and how to integrate these methods with more traditional qualitative research. Chapters offer step-by-step guidance to setting up various kinds of qualitative research projects, collecting data, organizing data, and analyzing data. Case studies show how a mix of qualitative and quantitative research can help planners build consensus and tackle large, complicated projects.

This book explains how to use and adapt these techniques and how to integrate these methods with more traditional qualitative research. Chapters offer step-by-step guidance to setting up various kinds of qualitative research projects, collecting data, organizing data, and analyzing data. Case studies show how a mix of qualitative and quantitative research can help planners build consensus and tackle large, complicated projects.

The second edition of Qualitative Research Methods for Community Development teaches the basic skills, tools, and methods of qualitative research with special attention to the needs of community practitioners. This book teaches students entering planning, community development, nonprofit management, social work, and similar applied fields the core skills necessary to conduct systematic research designed to empower communities and promote social change. Focusing on the basic elements of qualitative research, such as field observation, interviewing, focus groups, and content analysis, this second edition of this book provides an overview of core methods and theoretical underpinnings of successful research. It also includes two new chapters on qualitative data analysis software and techniques for conducting online qualitative interviews and focus groups. From housing, community organizing, neighborhood planning, and urban revitalization, this book gives students the skills they need to undertake their own projects and provides professionals a valuable reference for their future research. This book serves as a primary text for courses in applied qualitative research and as a reference book for professionals and community-based researchers.

Lecturers, click here to request an e-inspection copy of this text Qualitative Research Methods is based on the authors′ highly successful multidisciplinary qualitative methods workshops, which have been conducted for over a decade. In this book the authors propose a ′qualitative research cycle′ that leads students through the selection of appropriate methods, the collection of data and the transformation of findings into a finished project. It provides a clear explanation of the nature of qualitative research and its key concepts. Topics covered include: o formulating qualitative research questions o ethical issues o in-depth interviews o focus group discussions o observation o coding o data analysis o writing up qualitative research This text is ideal for any students taking a qualitative methods course or producing a qualitative research project at undergraduate or graduate level. It is illustrated throughout with case studies and field examples from a range of international contexts. The practical techniques are also accompanied by the author′s own research tools including interview guides, real coded data and comprehensive research checklists.

'The book is very simplistically written and, I consider that undergraduate students would find maximum chapters easy to comprehend and apply. I strongly recommend Qualitative Methodologies and Data Collection Methods: Toward Increased Rigour in Management Research for general and qualitative methodology courses and for practitioners and researchers searching for direction in planning or gaining a superior comprehension of qualitative research. It is an excellent book that gives brief and accommodating portrayals of major ascribes of qualitative research and priceless examples for planning and conducting research studies and various data collection methods in qualitative exploration.'Technological Forecasting & Social Change Globalisation opens new frontiers of research that require advanced research methods. While quantitative methods are ideal in some situations, qualitative methods are more appropriate for responding to 'how' questions in new contexts. They aim to understand and provide a holistic picture via interaction — a unique advantage over quantitative methods. This textbook for graduate students introduces qualitative research and covers major qualitative methodologies and data collection methods.The choice of methodologies in this book is based on their actual applicability in management research. This approach provides a hands-on emphasis while maintaining both scientific rigour and rooting, and a high practicality level with respect to problem analysis, the collection of data, and the way this data should be analysed.Students and researchers will benefit from features including explanations of the advantages and disadvantages of methodological choices, and elaborated examples of good articles. The reader will acquire an overview of current methodologies, which will facilitate the choice process with respect to research approaches, and is also encouraged to bring personal research skills to a higher level.

This is a key text for any student embarking on a qualitative research project, it provides worked examples and valuable models which can be used as guides for plans and proposals, answering key questions and providing a comprehensive guide to a student’s project. It shows that when planning a qualitative research proposal, researchers should adopt an approach where they ask themselves the following four questions: What research paradigm informs my approach to my research area? What theoretical perspective do I choose within the paradigm? What methodology do I choose? What methods are most appropriate? Including examples of the write-up of two central types of research projects: studies on participants’ ‘perspectives’ on phenomena and studies on how participants manage or ‘cope with’ phenomena, the book outlines five research proposals to illustrate ways in which these two central ‘types’ can be varied and applied when engaging in five other types of studies, namely, policy studies, life history studies, retrospective interactionist longitudinal studies and interactionist historical studies, and ‘problem-focused’ studies.

′I find your straightforward writing style an absolute joy, such a breath of fresh air!′ - Angie Ash, PhD student ′...thank you very much for your accessible language, clear lay out and practical applied approach. I suspect that this book will never be far from my side over the next 4 years!!′ - Mayen Konarski, PhD student Using straight-forward language Doing Qualitative Research Using Your Computer walks readers through the process of managing and streamlining research projects using commonly available Microsoft software applications. Drawing on a wide range of examples to demonstrate how easy it is to use such software, this guide is full of useful hints and tips on how to manage research more efficiently and effectively, including: - Formatting transcripts for maximum coding efficiency in Microsoft Word - Using features of Word to organize the analysis of data and to facilitate efficient qualitative coding - Synchronizing codes, categories, and important concepts between Microsoft Word and Microsoft Access - Efficiently storing and analyzing the qualitative data in Microsoft Excel - Creating flexible analytic memos in Access that help lead the researcher to final conclusions Ideal for those students or researchers who don′t want to invest in expensive specialised software packages, this guide will be an invaluable companion for anyone embarking on their own research project.