Encouraging readers to take a critical approach to empirical data, the authors provide an account that helps social science researchers to develop new and interesting theories.

Empirical data is one of the cornerstones of knowledge in the social sciences, and yet the researcher often takes it for granted, reserving his or her imaginative faculties for finding a theory that ′fits the data′. This revealing account of the theory-data relationship calls this faith in data into question and establishes a reflexive framework and vocabulary to explore the creative, political and philosophical elements of data production. Rather than thinking about the theory-data ′fit′, Alvesson and Karreman will encourage you to consider the research process as one of theory-data interplay, asking if creative empirical material can challenge established theory and inspire new lines of development, and if breakdowns and mysteries encountered in research can be a constructive rather than destructive process. They will encourage you to think critically about empirical data in terms of construction rather than verification, and most importantly they will encourage you to develop theory that is interesting and novel, rather than naive or irrelevant, making this title essential reading for those who often find the traditional vocabulary and frameworks of social science research obvious or simplistic.

This concise introduction to qualitative research design will help you to think through the questions you need to ask when embarking on your research. Uwe Flick discusses each stage of the process of designing qualitative research,from turning an idea into a research question, selecting a sample, choosing an appropriate strategy, developing a conceptual framework and data source, and preparing for data collecting and analysis. This book can be used alongside other titles in the SAGE Qualitative Research Kit but can equally be used on its own. It is an invaluable companion to students and scholars embarking on research in in the social sciences, health, business and education.

Practical and straightforward, this book is a multidisciplinary introduction to the process of planning, conducting and analysing qualitative research, from selecting appropriate methods to publishing your findings. Built around the authors’ Qualitative Research Cycle – consisting of the design, data collection and analytic cycles – this pragmatic guide clearly demonstrates the steps you need to take to ensure your research is rigorous and robust. Drawing on decades of experience teaching workshops, the book is packed with techniques and tools to help you turn theory and method into research practice. This second edition: Showcases the importance of linking research design to data analysis, helping you avoid potential pitfalls and get the most out of your data Highlights the relevance and wide application of qualitative methods with an array of international examples of real field research and interdisciplinary case studies Gives clear guidance on writing qualitative research, including how to respond to critiques of qualitative methods Has a renewed focus on evaluating quality in qualitative research, ensuring your work is valid, reflexive and ethical Offering tried and tested research tools like interview guides that you can apply to your own projects and supported by online resources including checklists and reflective questions, this book is the perfect companion for anyone looking to complete a successful project using qualitative research methods.

The use of case studies to build and test theories in political science and the other social sciences has increased in recent years. Many scholars have argued that the social sciences rely too heavily on quantitative research and formal models and have attempted to develop and refine rigorous methods for using case studies. This text presents a comprehensive analysis of research methods using case studies and examines the place of case studies in social science methodology. It argues that case studies, statistical methods, and formal models are complementary rather than competitive. The book explains how to design case study research that will produce results useful to policymakers and emphasizes the importance of developing policy-relevant theories. It offers three major contributions to case study methodology: an emphasis on the importance of within-case analysis, a detailed discussion of process tracing, and development of the concept of typological theories. Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences will be particularly useful to graduate students and scholars in social science methodology and the philosophy of science, as well as to those designing new research projects, and will contribute greatly to the broader debate about scientific methods.

This book fills the gap in the literature on nursing theories by presenting the background information on situation specific theories such as philosophical bases and current status of situation specific theories and providing a collection of situation specific theories that have been developed. It provides specific guidelines for nursing research and practice, essentials for PhD and DNP students to complete the requirements for their degrees (e.g., dissertation, QI project). In addition, this book can be used in theory courses in other graduate nursing programs that require theoretical bases for their comprehensive exam or scholarly project (e.g., MSN, NP). Throughout nursing history, nursing theories have evolved within the contexts of changing and emerging theoretical needs of nursing discipline. Subsequently, several different types of nursing theories have been proposed, developed, and used in nursing education, research, and practice. Situation specific theories could be easily adopted and used in nursing practice and research due to their foci on specific populations or particular fields. Since situation specific theories were firstly proposed in 1990s, they became a major part of nursing theories in the past two decades, making this book appeals to all levels of nursing students.

Fresh, insightful and clear, this exciting textbook provides an engaging introduction to the application of qualitative methodology in the real world. Expert researchers then trace the history and philosophical underpinnings of different methodologies, explore the specific demands each places upon the researcher and robustly set out relevant issues surrounding quality and rigor. Featured methodologies include action research, discourse analysis, ethnography, grounded theory, case studies and narrative inquiry. This practical book provides a helpful guide to the research process - it introduces the relevant methods of generating, collecting and analysing data for each discrete methodology and then looks at best practice for presenting findings. This enables new researchers to compare qualitative methods and to confidently select the approach most appropriate for their own research projects. Key features include: Summary table for each chapter - allowing quick checks to test knowledge ′Window into′ sections - real world examples showing each methodology in action Student activities Learning objectives Full glossary Annotated suggestions for further reading Links to downloadable SAGE articles Links to relevant websites and organizations This is an invaluable resource for students and researchers across the social sciences and a must-have guide for those embarking on a research project.