Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches by John W. Creswell 3rd Edition (Paperback)

The five prominent qualitative research methodologies - biography, case study, ethnography, grounded theory, and phenomenology - are compared and contrasted in this text. Five actual journal articles, provided in the appendix, serve as exemplars of these distinct research designs.

Biographical research focuses on the life of an individual, exploring their experiences, actions, and the context that shaped their life story. This approach delves deep into the unique perspective and narrative of a single subject, providing rich, in-depth understanding. Case studies, on the other hand, examine a specific phenomenon, program, or event in-depth, within its real-world context. By analyzing a bounded system, case studies offer a holistic, intensive investigation of a complex issue.

Ethnography, a hallmark of cultural anthropology, involves the immersive study of a group or community, with the researcher often participating in the daily lives of the subjects. This method aims to understand the shared patterns of behavior, language, and interactions that characterize a particular cultural setting. Grounded theory, in contrast, is a systematic, inductive approach that develops a theoretical explanation grounded in the data collected through field research. The researcher begins without a predetermined theory, instead allowing the theory to emerge from the systematic analysis of the empirical observations.

Finally, phenomenology focuses on the lived experiences of individuals, seeking to understand the essence of a phenomenon as perceived by those who have experienced it. This approach emphasizes the subjective nature of human experience, delving into the personal perspectives and meaning-making processes of the research participants. By exploring the "what" and "how" of a lived experience, phenomenological studies provide rich, contextualized insights.

The appendix of this text includes five journal articles, each exemplifying one of the five qualitative research methodologies discussed. These real-world examples offer readers a tangible understanding of how these diverse approaches are applied in academic research, providing a valuable resource for students, researchers, and practitioners alike.

product information: