Cover......Page 1
Half Title......Page 2
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Table of Contents......Page 8
List of figures......Page 10
Introduction......Page 12
Acknowledgments......Page 18
1. Theory and data: a hermeneutic approach......Page 20
What is theory?......Page 21
Interpretation in everyday life......Page 24
Deductive theory building......Page 26
Simplistic inductive theory building......Page 29
Grounded theory: a sophisticated model......Page 31
Induction, deduction, abduction......Page 32
Postmodernism......Page 34
Feminist standpoint methodology......Page 39
Hermeneutics......Page 42
Summary reflections......Page 48
Further reading......Page 50
2. Politics, rigour and ethics......Page 52
The policy process......Page 53
Examples of applied qualitative research......Page 58
Feminism and participatory action research......Page 62
The value of qualitative methods......Page 63
The unavoidably political consequences of research......Page 65
Rigour and ethics......Page 69
Summary reflections......Page 76
Further reading......Page 77
3. Data analysis during data collection......Page 79
Integrating data collection and data analysis......Page 80
Techniques for integrating analysis and collection......Page 83
Team meetings and peer debriefing......Page 84
Checking interpretations with participants......Page 87
Transcribing, reading and coding early data......Page 89
Journals and memos......Page 90
Sampling and saturation......Page 93
Including participants in all aspects of the research......Page 94
Summary reflections......Page 96
Further reading......Page 97
4. Coding data and interpreting text: methods of analysis......Page 99
Content analysis......Page 101
Coding in thematic analysis and grounded theory......Page 105
Narrative analysis......Page 114
Cultural studies and semiotics......Page 120
Summary reflections......Page 128
Further reading......Page 129
5. Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis......Page 130
Computer-assisted content analysis......Page 132
Interpretive analysis......Page 134
When to use a computer package......Page 135
Coding......Page 140
Retrieval......Page 146
Choosing a CAQDAS program......Page 148
Learning to use a CAQDAS program......Page 149
Potential problems with CAQDAS......Page 151
Summary reflections......Page 154
Further reading......Page 156
6. Writing about qualitative data......Page 157
The process of writing: time, reflection and rhythm......Page 159
Identify your audience......Page 162
Writing styles......Page 163
The use of exemplars......Page 166
Objectivity and the representational crisis......Page 167
Experimental writing......Page 170
Including the personal experience of the researcher......Page 172
The ethics of writing about others......Page 175
The political implications of categorising people......Page 176
Academic publications and community reporting......Page 179
Summary reflections......Page 180
Further reading......Page 181
Concluding reflections......Page 183
Bibliography......Page 186
Index......Page 202