Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods

This book contains hundreds of examples and stories illuminating all aspects of qualitative inquiry. Patton has created the most comprehensive, systematic review of qualitative methods available.Key Features  Explores, compares and contrasts 16 different theoretical and philosophical approaches to qualitative inquiryOffers strategies for enhancing quality and credibility of qualitative findings Unravels the complexities of mixed methods and triangulation Explains the issues and approaches to fieldwork as well as providing detailed analytical guidelines Praise for the Edition"On dissertation proposals on which I have served, Patton is by far the most cited qualitative research text."                                                       ―Ian Baptiste, Penn State University"I am dazzled by the extent of the material that this book describes and clarifies. Patton has shifted the focus of the text to qualitative inquiry in general, which includes qualitative evaluation. New examples from his own work and that of others serve to clarify and deepen understanding of qualitative research topics and processes. New discussion of many current issues and debates in qualitative scholarship (autoethnography, ethical issues of informed consent and confidentiality, focus group/group interviews, computer-assisted analysis, the complexity of creating criteria for judging the quality of qualitative research, etc.) will bring readers up-to-date with the variety in perspectives about (and the variety within) qualitative inquiry. Most of the chapters in the book have been substantially reorganized in ways that augment the reader′s understanding. When anyone asks me about conducting qualitative inquiry, I will say: ′Get Patton′s book′." ―Corrine Glesne, author of Becoming Qualitative Researchers"Clearly, this is a vastly improved, much more comprehensive, cogently systematic, and timely review-a tour de force, one might say-of the field of qualitative research, in terms of the theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and normative dimensions/foundations of qualitative research. This is one of the strengths of the volume. It seeks to bring together theory and practice/methods without overburdening one or the other--this is as rare as it is commendable, not to mention extremely useful, not only for the professional researcher, but for the "non-professional" as well." ―Lester Edwin J. Ruiz, New York Theological Seminar Read more