Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Written in a lively, accessible style, Doing Qualitative Research provides a step-by-step guide to all the questions students ask when beginning their first research project. Silverman demonstrates how to learn the craft of qualitative research by applying knowledge about different methods to actual data. He provides practical advice on key issues such as defining ′originality′ and narrowing down a topic, keeping a research diary and writing a research report, and presenting research to different audiences.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Part 1 Introduction
• How To Use This Book
• What You Can (And Can't) Do With Qualitative Research
• Introduction
• Why Do Students Use Qualitative Methods?
• Are Qualitative Methods Always The Best?
• Should You Use Qualitative Methods?
• Concluding Remarks
• The Research Experience I
• Introduction
• Moira's Research Diary
• Sally's Research Diary
• Simon's Research Diary
• Concluding Remarks
• The Research Experience II
• Introduction
• Interviews
• Ethnographies
• Texts
• Audio Data
• Visual Data
• Multiple Methods
• Concluding Remarks
• What Counts As 'Originality'?
• Introduction
• Originality
• Being A 'Professional'
• Independent Critical Thought
• Concluding Remarks
• Part 2 Starting Out
• Selecting A Topic
• Introduction
• Workable Research Questions
• Simplistic Inductivism
• The 'Kitchen Sink' Gambit
• The Grand Theorist
• Strategies For Simplistic Inductivists
• Strategies For 'Kitchen Sinkers'
• Strategies For Grand Theorists
• Strategies For All Researchers
• Concluding Remarks
• Using Theories
• Introduction
• How Theoretical Models Shape Research
• The Different Languages Of Qualitative Research
• Theories, Models And Hypotheses
• Examples
• Concluding Remarks
• Choosing A Methodology
• Introduction
• Qualitative Or Quantitative?
• Your Research Strategy
• Choosing A Methodology: A Case Study
• Naturally-Occurring Data?
• Multiple Methods?
• Concluding Remarks
• Selecting A Case
• Introduction
• What Is A Case Study?
• Generalizing From Cases
• Types Of Case Studies
• Combining Qualitative Research With Quantitative Measures Of Populations
• Purposive Sampling
• Theoretical Sampling
• Generalizability Is Present In A Single Case
• Concluding Remarks
• Ethical Research
• Introduction
• The Standards Of Ethical Research
• Why Ethics Matter For Your Research
• Ethical Guidelines In Practice
• Complex Ethical Issues
• Research Governance
• Conclusion: Managing Ethical Demands
• Writing A Research Proposal
• Introduction
• Aim For Crystal Clarity
• Plan Before You Write
• Be Persuasive
• Be Practical
• Make Broader Links
• Concluding Remarks
• Part 3 Collecting and Analysing Your Data
• Collecting Your Data
• Collecting Interview Data
• Collecting Ethnographic Data
• Concluding Remarks
• Developing Data Analysis
• Introduction
• Kick-Starting Data Analysis
• A Case Study
• Interviews
• Fieldnotes
• Transcripts
• Visual Data
• Concluding Remarks
• Using Computers To Analyse Qualitative Data
• Introduction
• What CAQDAS Software Can Do For You
• Advantages Of CAQDAS
• Limitations And Disadvantages
• Theory Building With CAQDAS
• Keyword Analysis
• Concluding Remarks
• Quality In Qualitative Research
• Introduction
• Validity
• Reliability
• Concluding Remarks
• Evaluating Qualitative Research
• Introduction
• Two Guides For Evaluating Research
• Four Quality Criteria
• Applying Quality Criteria
• Four Quality Issues Revisited
• Concluding Remarks
• Part 4 Writing Up
• The First Few Pages
• Introduction
• The Title
• The Abstract
• The List of Contents
• The Introduction
• Concluding Remarks
• The Literature Review Chapter
• Recording Your Reading
• Writing Your Literature Review
• Practical Questions
• Principles
• Do You Need A Literature Review Chapter?
• Concluding Remarks
• The Methodology Chapter
• Introduction
• What Should The Methodology Chapter Contain?
• A Natural History Chapter?
• Concluding Remarks
• Writing Your Data Chapters
• Introduction
• The Macrostructure
• The Microstructure
• Tightening Up
• Concluding Remarks
• Your Final Chapter
• Introduction
• The Final Chapter As Mutual Stimulation
• What Exactly Should Your Final Chapter Contain?
• Confessions And Trumpets
• Theorizing As Thinking Through Data
• Writing For Audiences
• Why Your Final Chapter Can Be Fun
• Concluding Remarks
• Part 5 Getting Support
• Making Good Use Of Your Supervisor
• Introduction
• Supervision Horror Stories
• Student And Supervisor Expectations
• The Early Stages
• The Later Stages
• Standards Of Good Practice
• Concluding Remarks
• Getting Feedback
• Introduction
• Writing
• Speaking
• The Art Of Presenting Research
• Feedback From The People You Study
• Concluding Remarks
• Part 6 Review
• Effective Qualitative Research
• Introduction
• Keep It Simple
• Take Advantage Of Using Qualitative Data
• Avoid Drowning In Data
• Avoid Journalism
• Concluding Remarks
• Part 7 The Aftermath
• Surviving an Oral Examination
• Introduction
• Viva Horror Stories
• Preparing For Your Oral
• Doing The Oral
• Outcomes
• Revising Your Thesis After The Oral
• A Case Study
• Concluding Remarks
• Getting Published
• Introduction
• The Backstage Politics Of Publishing
• Strategic Choices
• What Journals Are Looking For
• Reviewers' Comments
• How To Write A Short Journal Article
• Concluding Remarks
• Audiences
• Introduction
• The Policy-Making Audience
• The Practitioner Audience
• The Lay Audience
• Concluding Remarks
• Finding A Job
• Introduction
• Learning About Vacancies
• Getting On A Shortlist
• The Job Interview
• Concluding Remarks
• Appendix: Simplified Transcription Symbols