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The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods
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The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods

Two Volume Set
Edited by:
  • Lisa M. Given - Swinburne University, Australia, Charles Sturt University, Australia, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

August 2008 | 1 072 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Qualitative research is designed to explore the human elements of a given topic, while specific qualitative methods examine how individuals see and experience the world. Qualitative approaches are typically used to explore new phenomena and to capture individuals' thoughts, feelings, or interpretations of meaning and process. Such methods are central to research conducted in education, nursing, sociology, anthropology, information studies, and other disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and health sciences. Qualitative research projects are informed by a wide range of methodologies and theoretical frameworks.

The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods presents current and complete information as well as ready-to-use techniques, facts, and examples from the field of qualitative research in a very accessible style. In taking an interdisciplinary approach, these two volumes target a broad audience and fill a gap in the existing reference literature for a general guide to the core concepts that inform qualitative research practices. The entries cover every major facet of qualitative methods, including access to research participants, data coding, research ethics, the role of theory in qualitative research, and much more—all without overwhelming the informed reader.

Key Features

  • Defines and explains core concepts, describes the techniques involved in the implementation of qualitative methods, and presents an overview of qualitative approaches to research
  • Offers many entries that point to substantive debates among qualitative researchers regarding how concepts are labeled and the implications of such labels for how qualitative research is valued
  • Guides readers through the complex landscape of the language of qualitative inquiry
  • Includes contributors from various countries and disciplines that reflect a diverse spectrum of research approaches from more traditional, positivist approaches, through postmodern, constructionist ones
  • Presents some entries written in first-person voice and others in third-person voice to reflect the diversity of approaches that define qualitative work

Key Themes

  • Approaches and Methodologies
  • Arts-Based Research, Ties to
  • Computer Software
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Collection
  • Data Types and Characteristics
  • Dissemination
  • History of Qualitative Research
  • Participants
  • Quantitative Research, Ties to
  • Research Ethics
  • Rigor
  • Textual Analysis, Ties to
  • Theoretical and Philosophical Frameworks

The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods is designed to appeal to undergraduate and graduate students, practitioners, researchers, consultants, and consumers of information across the social sciences, humanities, and health sciences, making it a welcome addition to any academic or public library.


"....This is an excellent work for students, researchers, or practitioners interested in understanding or using qualitative research methods. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels."

R.V. Labaree
University of Southern California
CHOICE magazine
Key features
  • Approximately 500-600 encyclopedia entries (broken out approximately as follows: 100 long entries of 2,000 words; 350 medium entries of 1,000 words; 75 biographies and definitional entries of 400 words);
  • Reader's Guide (following the list of entries) to organize entries around themes or specific topics and easily guide users to areas of interest;
  • Cross-referenced terms, brief listing of further readings, and stable website URLs if and when available will follow most entries (whenever appropriate);
  • Appendices that may include a general bibliography to build on "Further Readings," an annotated list of organizations relevant to qualitative methods, and an overview of computer software appropriate for managing and analyzing qualitative data to guide researchers in the design and implementation of qualitative research projects.

Select a Purchasing Option


Hardcover
ISBN: 9781412941631
$430.00

This title is also available on SAGE Knowledge, the ultimate social sciences online library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial.

This title is also available on SAGE Research Methods, the ultimate digital methods library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial.