Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research in Psychology brings together a diverse group of scholars who share valuable qualitative research techniques and rich case examples. Qualitative methodologies and the different paradigms which guide them can be seen as both an alternative and complementary approach to quantification and positivism in social, personality, developmental, health, clinical, counseling, community and school psychology. Qualitative methodology seen as an alternative approach seeks to answer questions that cannot be answered through quantification, random sampling, probability testing and other measures, which seek to control the environment of the participant. Viewed as a complementary approach to research, qualitative methodology can be utilized alongside quantitative methods, bringing a new depth and richness to data analysis. The wide variety of innovative techniques and theoretical perspectives offered in this volume will challenge readers to think about and expand on their understanding of qualitative research and its continually emerging applications.

This book is a unique examination of qualitative research in the social sciences, raising and answering the question of why we do this kind of investigation. Rather than offering advice on how to conduct qualitative research, it explores the multiple roots of qualitative research - including phenomenology, hermeneutics, and critical theory - in order to diagnose the current state of play and recommend an alternative.