Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
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Preface<br />
In Chapter 7 we consider some data analysis processes that are<br />
common to many approaches to qualitative research. Chapter 8<br />
focuses on presentation and writ<strong>in</strong>g up, explor<strong>in</strong>g different ways of<br />
writ<strong>in</strong>g up research so that <strong>the</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs can be communicated with<br />
different audiences. F<strong>in</strong>ally, <strong>in</strong> Chapter 9 we conclude with <strong>the</strong><br />
feedback loop which takes us from research f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs back to<br />
practice and policy implications—as practice research is a means<br />
to an end, not an end <strong>in</strong> itself.<br />
The book provides an <strong>in</strong>troduction to qualitative research,<br />
primarily through <strong>the</strong> medium of practice-based stories that illustrate<br />
particular stages of <strong>the</strong> research process. Each chapter <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />
at least two and often more ‘stories from <strong>the</strong> field’. Thus <strong>the</strong> reader<br />
will not necessarily f<strong>in</strong>d ‘<strong>the</strong> answer’, but will discover how o<strong>the</strong>rs<br />
have dealt with various aspects of qualitative research practice.<br />
This reflects our belief that <strong>the</strong>re is great value <strong>in</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g from<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs’ experience. We hope <strong>the</strong> book will encourage creativity and,<br />
by show<strong>in</strong>g how o<strong>the</strong>r researchers have dealt with particular issues,<br />
act as an aid to research troubleshoot<strong>in</strong>g. The book is thus also a<br />
showcase of <strong>the</strong> variety of qualitative research that is be<strong>in</strong>g done <strong>in</strong><br />
different fields with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> human services. By br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>se<br />
examples toge<strong>the</strong>r, we hope to share <strong>the</strong>m with a wider audience<br />
than <strong>the</strong> specific field to which each study belongs.<br />
We have written <strong>the</strong> book for anyone with an <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> qualitative<br />
research, but particularly for students and practitioners <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> human services. We hope <strong>the</strong> researcher perspectives we have<br />
presented will be of value to students and practitioner researchers<br />
alike, enabl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m to draw on o<strong>the</strong>rs’ experience <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> design of<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir own projects.<br />
We were clear from <strong>the</strong> start that we wanted <strong>the</strong> book to <strong>in</strong>clude<br />
comments from researchers about how <strong>the</strong>y do qualitative research.<br />
We envisaged not so much personal experiences about what it is like<br />
to be a qualitative researcher as comments about how researchers<br />
made <strong>the</strong>ir choices about what to do, and how <strong>the</strong> day-to-day<br />
research context <strong>in</strong>teracts to shape what is possible. Through our<br />
discussions, this evolved <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> idea of conduct<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>-depth <strong>in</strong>terviews<br />
with researchers and <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g sections from those <strong>in</strong>terviews<br />
<strong>in</strong> relevant chapters. We decided first what issues we wanted to<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude, and <strong>the</strong>n sought out researchers who seemed to us to have<br />
grappled with at least one of those issues <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g or <strong>in</strong>novative<br />
way.<br />
The work of all of <strong>the</strong> researchers <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> book was<br />
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