Qualitative Methods

Listed below are:

• TLRP's specially commissioned guides to selected qualitative methods
• showcased TLRP projects' contributions on qualitative methods
• some additional resources

Guides

Additional Resources

• Forum: Qualitative Social Research has published a special issue on The State of the Art of Qualitative Research in Europe.
• The Cabinet Office / Strategy Unit produced a report on Quality and Qualitative Evaluation: A framework for assessing research evidence.
• The Qualitative Research Methods in the Social Sciences: Innovation, Integration and Impact (QUALITI ) project, focuses on the innovation, integration and impact of qualitative research methods.
• An introductory guide aimed at practitioners, has been produced by Penisula RDSU, on Qualitative Research Methods
• A guide for post-graduate students, produced by University of Plymouth, is available on Qualitative Research. The latter was produced by Peter Woods (2006) and covers:
• Features of Qualitative Research (A focus on natural settings; An interest in meanings, perspectives and understandings; An emphasis on process; Inductive analysis and grounded theory);
• Methods of Qualitative Research (with sections on Observation; Interviews; Sampling; Written materials; Questionnaires; Validity; Ethics; Qualitative Research Assessed);
• Qualitative Analysis (Primary analysis; Category and concept formation; The generation of theory)
• Tasks; Further Reading and References.

As well as material on qualitative methods as a whole, it is also possible to investigate single topics, such as:

• Qualitative Research Methods and Transcription.
• Use of artefacts in the research process: for use of photos and other techniques for eliciting responses from interviewees, see

• Surrey Social Research Update (25) on Photo-Interviewing for research and Surrey Social Research Update (12) on Elicitation Techniques with Young People or
• Christine Fessey's (2002) article on Capturing expertise in the development of practice: methodology and approaches.

• Use of vignettes in reporting research findings: see
• Surrey Social Research Update on use of vignettes in qualitative research
• Emma Renold's overview of Using vignettes in qualitative research
• for a fuller discussion see: Barter, C. and Renold, E. (2000) "I wanna tell you a story": exploring the application of vignettes in qualitative research with children and young people
• Janet Finch, J. (1987) on The vignette technique in survey research.

• Use of focus groups:
• For a general introduction, see Surrey Social Research Update (19) on Focus Groups.
• OMNI Research and Training have produced a useful toolkit for conducting focus groups.