This exciting companion provides a comprehensive overview of the latest writing on every aspect of qualitative research. Drawing on the work of leading scholars from Europe, Britain and North America, it presents a summary of every aspect of the qualitative research process.

`The book covers such a diverse range of material and there are so many practical tips provided, that it is useful - as the title suggests - as a companion for those conducting or teaching research′ - Nurse Researcher

This exciting companion provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the latest writing on every aspect of qualitative research.

A Companion to Qualitative Research draws on the work of an array of leading scholars from Europe, Britain and North America, to present a summary of every aspect of the qualitative research process from nuts-and-bolts methods and research styles, to examinations of methodological theory and epistemology. It is one of the few surveys of qualitative research to adopt a genuinely international voice.

The Companion: includes an introduction to the field; provides examples of how key researchers, from Garfinkel to Geertz, carried out their research and examines the nature of their legacy; investigates different methodological and epistemological approaches to the act of researching; takes the classic methods available to the researcher and asks what the thinking is behind choosing to use such methods; is a how-to guide to the actual process of gathering research data in the field; introduces the reader to important practical issues such as ethics and teaching in research; and, provides the reader with practical information about methods literature, and guides the reader on how to study methods, and use databases and the Internet in qualitative research.

Easy to use, A Companion to Qualitative Research presents a concise and systematic introduction. Recent developments, such as the use of computers and the internet, and the analysis of visual materials are covered at length, as are the future challenges for qualitative research.

Essential reading for students, researchers and practitioners alike, the Companion will serve as a comprehensive textbook for any student embarking on a research methods course, and at the same will be an invaluable reference book for active researchers and practitioners.

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

What Is Qualitative Research - Uwe Flick, Ernst von Kardorff and Ines Steinke

Introduction and Overview

PART TWO: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN ACTION

Introduction - Uwe Flick, Ernst von Kardorff and Ines Steinke

Anselm Strauss - Bruno Hildenbrand

Erving Goffman′s Research Style - Herbert Willems

Harold Garfinkel and Harvey Sacks - J[um]org Bergmann

Paul Willis and the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies - Rolf Lindner

Paul Parin, Fritz Morgenthaler and Goldy Parin Matth[gr]ey - Maya Nadig and Johannes Reichmayr

Clifford Geertz - Stephan Wolff

Life in Transit - Yvonna Lincoln

The Work of Norman K Denzin

Marie Jahoda - Christian Fleck

PART THREE: THE THEORY OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Introduction - Uwe Flick, Ernst von Kardorff and Ines Steinke

Phenomenological Life-World Analysis - Ronald Hitzler and Thomas Eberle

Ethnomethodology - J[um]org R Bergmann

Symbolic Interactionism - Norman K Denzin

Constructivism - Uwe Flick

Social Scientific Hermeneutics - Hans-Georg Soeffner

Qualitative Biographical Research - Winfried Marotzki

Qualitative Generation Research - Heinz Bude

Life-World Analysis in Ethnography - Anne Honer

Cultural Studies - Rainer Winter

Gender Studies - Regine Gildemeister

Organizational Analysis - Lutz von Rosenstiel

Qualitative Evaluation Research - Ernst von Kardorff

PART FOUR: METHODOLOGY AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Introduction - Uwe Flick, Ernst von Kardorff and Ines Steinke

Design and Process in Qualitative Research - Uwe Flick

Hypotheses and Prior Knowledge in Qualitative Research - Werner Meinefeld

Abduction, Deduction and Induction in Qualitative Research - Jo Reichertz

Selection Procedures, Sampling, Case Construction - Hans Merkens

Qualitative and Quantitative Methods - Udo Kelle and Christian Erzberger

Not in Opposition

Triangulation in Qualitative Research - Uwe Flick

Quality Criteria in Qualitative Research - Ines Steinke

PART FOUR: QUALITATIVE METHODS AND DOING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Introduction - Uwe Flick, Ernst von Kardorff and Ines Steinke

Ways into the Field and their Variants - Stephan Wolff

Qualitative Interviews - Christel Hopf

An Overview

Interviewing as an Activity - Harry Hermanns

Group Discussions and Focus Groups - Ralf Bohnsack

Field Observation and Ethnography - Christian L[um]uders

Photography as Social Science Data - Douglas Harper

Reading Film - Norman K Denzin

Using Films and Video as Empirical Social Science Material

Electronic Process Data and Analysis - J[um]org Bergmann and Christoph Meier

On the Transcription of Conversations - Sabine Kowal and Daniel C O′Connell

The Analysis of Semi-Structured Interviews - Christiane Schmidt

The Analysis of Narrative-Biographical Interviews - Gabriele Rosenthal and Wolfram Fischer-Rosenthal

Qualitative Content Analysis - Philipp Mayring

Theoretical Coding - Andreas B[um]ohm

Text Analysis in Grounded Theory

Computer-Assisted Analysis of Qualitative Data - Udo Kelle

Analysis of Documents and Records - Stephan Wolff

Objective Hermeneutics and Hermeneutic Sociology of Knowledge - Jo Reichertz

Conversation Analysis - J[um]org Bergmann

Genre Analysis - Hubert Knoblauch and Thomas Luckmann

Discourse-Analytic Method - Ian Parker

Deep Structure Hermeneutic - Hans Dieter K[um]onig

The Art of Interpretation - Heinz Bude

The Presentation of Qualitative Research - Eduard Matt

PART SIX: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN CONTEXT

Introduction - Uwe Flick, Ernst von Kardorff and Ines Steinke

Research Ethics and Qualitative Research - Christel Hopf

Teaching Qualitative Research - Uwe Flick and Martin Bauer

Utilization of Qualitative Research - Ernst von Kardorff

The Future Prospects of Qualitative Research - Hubert Knoblauch

The Challenges of Qualitative Research - Christian L[um]uders

The Art of Procedure, Methodological Innovation and Theory-Formation in Qualitative Research - Alexandre Metraux

PART SEVEN: RESOURCES

Service Section - Heike Ohlbrecht