qualitative methods for health research 4th edition

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Qualitative Methods for Health Research

• Judith Green - Exeter University, UK
• Nicki Thorogood - Independent Academic
• Description

Packed with practical advice and research quick tips, this book is the perfect companion to your health research project. It not only explains the theory of qualitative health research so you can interpret the studies of others, but also showcases how to approach, start, maintain, and disseminate your own research. 

It will help you:

• Understand the role of the researcher
• Develop an effective research proposal
• Seek ethical approval
• Conduct interviews, observational studies, mixed methods, and web-based designs
• Use secondary and digital sources
• Code, manage, and analyse data
• Write up your results

Whether you are studying public health, sports medicine, occupational therapy, nursing, midwifery, or another health discipline, the authors will be your surrogate supervisors and guide you through evaluating or undertaking any type of health research.

Supplements

This book is  the  clear and extensive introduction to qualitative health research. It is useful for all under and post graduate students, and even for PhDs with quantitative background.

A thoughtful, thorough and readable account of the history and current practice of qualitative research in health. 

An enormously helpful resource for anyone interested in interpreting and conducting qualitative health research. In addition to describing complex social theory in an easily digestible style, it also provides a practical ‘how to’ guide for all the stages of qualitative data collection, analysis and dissemination. Filled with useful examples, it brings qualitative health research to life in a way that is both engaging and highly accessible. It is a must read for students and experienced scholars alike!

This new edition of Green and Thorogood’s excellent textbook should be required reading for health professionals considering undertaking qualitative research. Along with a practical introduction to the theory and methods of qualitative research, this revised edition expands on the importance of theory for qualitative research, the use of secondary sources and digital methods in data collection and the integration of methods, disciplines and designs within research. It continues to be a core text for any qualitative methods training for students in health and related disciplines. 

Very good basic introduction, focus on ethnography and observation as essential qual. research designs/methods. Great book also for nursing science students.

This is an great resource for students undertaking qualitative methods for the first time. Additionally, it provides a great go-to for those further along in their use of these methods.

An informative introduction to qualitative research with practical advice and real-world examples.

An excellent resource for graduate and post graduate students in health research.

Added to my reading list for three modules-like the clear writing style, and 'how to' guides-useful for both undergraduate and post graduate students

I enjoyed reading this. Its an excellent practical book that helped organise and conduct qualitative research, safe in the knowledge that the project would be robust and credible. It also serves a s a useful reference for supervision.

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Qualitative Methods for Health Research

Student resources, on this website students will find:.

The authors’ research top tips provide you with the straight-from-the-expert advice you need to avoid common pitfalls and ensure you are going in the right direction.

A cultivated library of cases, datasets, video, and book chapters from SAGE Research Methods offers you additional advice-by-example on applying methods in the book to your own research and gives you the chance to practice the techniques you have learned in small, manageable pieces.

SAGE journal articles and suggestions for other further reading show you how methods outlined in the book can be used in the real world.

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• Find My Rep

You are here

Qualitative Methods for Health Research

• Judith Green - Exeter University, UK
• Nicki Thorogood - Independent Academic
• Description
• Author(s) / Editor(s)

Packed with practical advice and research quick tips, this book is the perfect companion to your health research project. It not only explains the theory of qualitative health research so you can interpret the studies of others, but also showcases how to approach, start, maintain, and disseminate your own research. 

It will help you:

• Understand the role of the researcher
• Develop an effective research proposal
• Seek ethical approval
• Conduct interviews, observational studies, mixed methods, and web-based designs
• Use secondary and digital sources
• Code, manage, and analyse data
• Write up your results

Whether you are studying public health, sports medicine, occupational therapy, nursing, midwifery, or another health discipline, the authors will be your surrogate supervisors and guide you through evaluating or undertaking any type of health research.

Supplements

This book is  the  clear and extensive introduction to qualitative health research. It is useful for all under and post graduate students, and even for PhDs with quantitative background.

A thoughtful, thorough and readable account of the history and current practice of qualitative research in health. 

An enormously helpful resource for anyone interested in interpreting and conducting qualitative health research. In addition to describing complex social theory in an easily digestible style, it also provides a practical ‘how to’ guide for all the stages of qualitative data collection, analysis and dissemination. Filled with useful examples, it brings qualitative health research to life in a way that is both engaging and highly accessible. It is a must read for students and experienced scholars alike!

This new edition of Green and Thorogood’s excellent textbook should be required reading for health professionals considering undertaking qualitative research. Along with a practical introduction to the theory and methods of qualitative research, this revised edition expands on the importance of theory for qualitative research, the use of secondary sources and digital methods in data collection and the integration of methods, disciplines and designs within research. It continues to be a core text for any qualitative methods training for students in health and related disciplines. 

Very good basic introduction, focus on ethnography and observation as essential qual. research designs/methods. Great book also for nursing science students.

This is an great resource for students undertaking qualitative methods for the first time. Additionally, it provides a great go-to for those further along in their use of these methods.

An informative introduction to qualitative research with practical advice and real-world examples.

An excellent resource for graduate and post graduate students in health research.

Added to my reading list for three modules-like the clear writing style, and 'how to' guides-useful for both undergraduate and post graduate students

I enjoyed reading this. Its an excellent practical book that helped organise and conduct qualitative research, safe in the knowledge that the project would be robust and credible. It also serves a s a useful reference for supervision.

Preview this book

Judith green.

Judith Green has degrees in anthropology and sociology, and a PhD in the sociology of heath.  She has taught research methods to a wide range of students over the last 30 years, including undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students and health professionals from nursing, medicine, public health and sociology.  She is currently Professor of Sociology of Health at King’s College London, and has held posts at the London School of Hygiene and Medicine and London South Bank University.   Judith has broad substantive interests in the sociology of health and health services, and has researched and published on primary... More About Author

Nicki Thorogood

Nicki Thorogood’s first degree was in sociology and social anthropology, and she has a PhD in the sociology of health from the University of London. She has over 30 years experience of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students. Before coming to LSHTM (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) in 1999 she held posts at Middlesex University and at Guy’s King’s and Thomas’s School of Medicine and Dentistry (GKT). Her research interests are primarily in qualitative research into aspects of ‘identity’, e.g. ethnicity, gender, disability and sexuality and in the sociology of the body. She is also interested in the intersection of... More About Author

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Packed with practical advice and research quick tips, this book is the perfect companion to your health research project. It not only explains the theory of qualitative health research so you can interpret the studies of others, but also showcases how to approach, start, maintain, and disseminate your own research. It will help you:Understand the role of the researcher Develop an effective research proposal Seek ethical approval Conduct interviews, observational studies, mixed methods, and web-based designs Use secondary and digital sources Code, manage, and analyse data Write up your results Whether you are studying public health, sports medicine, occupational therapy, nursing, midwifery, or another health discipline, the authors will be your surrogate supervisors and guide you through evaluating or undertaking any type of health research.

Table of Contents

Part I: Principles and Approaches in Qualitative Health Research

Chapter 1: Qualitative Methodology in Health Research

What is qualitative research?

Qualitative research and evidence based practice

The orientations of qualitative research

Some assumptions about qualitative research

Chapter 2: The Role of Theory

Macro theory

Middle range theory

Theories of knowledge

Chapter 3: Developing Qualitative Research Proposals

Research questions

Selecting appropriate study designs

Pragmatic influences on research design

A qualitative approach to design

Writing a research proposal

Sampling strategies

Chapter 4: Responsibilities, Ethics and Values

Values in research

Ethical review and codes of practice

Informed consent

Confidentiality

Responsibilities to research participants

Ethical dilemmas and conflicts

Responsibilities to yourself and co-workers

Responsibilities to commissioners and the public

Part II: Generating Data

Chapter 5: In-depth Interviews

The research interview

A word on language

Language and translation

What interviews can and can’t do

Asking questions and listening to answers

Context and data

Planning interviews

Using visual methods in interviews

Chapter 6: Group Interviews and Discussions

An overview of different kinds of groups used in qualitative research

Consensus panels

Community interviews and participatory methods

Focus group discussions

Natural groups

Advantages of using group interviews

Limitations

Planning group interview studies

Chapter 7: Observational Methods

Participation and observation

Ethnography and medical anthropology

Ethnographies of medicine, health and health care

Managing fieldwork roles

Planning an ethnographic study

Rapid ethnographic methods

Using participation and observation in interviews

Non-participant observation

Chapter 8: Using Secondary Sources

Why use existing sources?

Public records

Personal documents

Mass media outputs

Research outputs

Policy reports

Material artefacts

Methodological issues in using documentary sources

Chapter 9: Qualitative Research in a Digital Age

Questions about health, health care and technology

Researching virtual sites

Recruitment on line: social media

Technology platforms as part of the context of data generation

Ethical issues in digital research

Dissemination and knowledge exchange

Part III: Managing and Analysing Data

Chapter 10: Beginning Data Analysis

Styles of analysis

Aims of analysis

Data preparation and management

Qualitative description

Thematic content analysis

Framework analysis

Reliability and validity

Computer aided qualitative analysis

Chapter 11: Developing Qualitative Analysis

Rigour is not enough

Discourse analysis

Grounded theory

Narrative analysis

Beyond talk and text

Some strategies for thinking more analytically

Generalizability and transferability

Part IV: Qualitative Research in Practice

Chapter 12: Integrating Methods, Designs and Disciplines

Rationales for mixing methods within qualitative studies

Combining qualitative and quantitative designs

Qualitative research within evaluative designs

Combining designs in practice

Developing trans-disciplinary research

Enhancing collaboration

Chapter 13: Reading, Appraising and Integrating Qualitative Research

Reading critically

Formal critical appraisal for empirical studies

Criteria in ethnography

Systematic reviews

Integrating qualitative findings

Meta-ethnography

Chapter 14: Dissemination: reaching and engaging with audiences

The writing process

Writing for different audiences

Writing for health journals

Writing for social science colleagues

Practical issues to consider when writing research reports

Dissemination from collaborative projects

Communicating with non-specialist audiences

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Qualitative Methods for Health Research 4th Edition

• Author(s) Judith Green; Nicki Thorogood
• Publisher Sage Publications Ltd (UK)

Print ISBN 9781473997103, 1473997100

Etext isbn 9781526448798, 1526448793.

• Edition 4th
• Copyright 2018
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Qualitative Research Methods, Fourth Edition 4th Edition

• ISBN-10 0195518551
• ISBN-13 978-0195518559
• Edition 4th
• Publisher Oxford University Press
• Publication date January 7, 2013
• Language English
• Dimensions 7.5 x 1 x 10 inches
• Print length 439 pages
• See all details

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 4th edition (January 7, 2013)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 439 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195518551
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195518559
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.1 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1 x 10 inches
• #583 in Health Policy (Books)
• #1,895 in Medical Research (Books)

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• Harvard Library
• Research Guides
• Faculty of Arts & Sciences Libraries

Library Support for Qualitative Research

• Types of Interviews
• Resources for Methodology
• Remote Research & Virtual Fieldwork

Structures, Formats, and Uses

Folklore interviews, oral history interviews.

• Oral History
• Engaging Participants
• Interview Questions
• Conducting Interviews
• Transcription
• Coding and Analysis
• Managing Interview Data
• Finding Interview Data
• Class Materials
• Data Management & Repositories
• Campus Access

The decision to conduct interviews, and the type of interviewing to use, should flow from, or align with, the methodological paradigm chosen for your study, whether that paradigm is interpretivist, critical, positivist, or participative in nature (or a combination of these).

• Structured Interview. Entry in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methodsby Floyd J. Fowler Jr., Editors: Michael S. Lewis-Beck; Alan E. Bryman; Tim Futing Liao (Editor)  A concise article noting standards, procedures, and recommendations for developing and testing structured interviews. For an example of structured interview questions, you may view the Current Population Survey, May 2008: Public Participation in the Arts Supplement (ICPSR 29641), Apr 15, 2011 at https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR29641.v1 (To see the survey questions, preview the user guide, which can be found under the "Data and Documentation" tab. Then, look for page 177 (attachment 8).

Semi-Structured

• Semi-Structured Interview. Entry in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methodsby Lioness Ayres; Editor: Lisa M. Given  The semi-structured interview is a qualitative data collection strategy in which the researcher asks informants a series of predetermined but open-ended questions. The researcher has more control over the topics of the interview than in unstructured interviews, but in contrast to structured interviews or questionnaires that use closed questions, there is no fixed range of responses to each question.

Unstructured

• Unstructured Interview. Entry in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methodsby Michael W. Firmin; Editor: Lisa M. Given  Unstructured interviews in qualitative research involve asking relatively open-ended questions of research participants in order to discover their percepts on the topic of interest. Interviews, in general, are a foundational means of collecting data when using qualitative research methods. They are designed to draw from the interviewee constructs embedded in his or her thinking and rationale for decision making. The researcher uses an inductive method in data gathering, regardless of whether the interview method is open, structured, or semi-structured. That is, the researcher does not wish to superimpose his or her own viewpoints onto the person being interviewed. Rather, inductively, the researcher wishes to understand the participant's perceptions, helping him or her to articulate percepts such that they will be understood clearly by the journal reader.

Focus Groups

• "Focus Groups." Annual Review of Sociology 22 (1996): 129-1524.by David L. Morgan  Discusses the use of focus groups and group interviews as methods for gathering qualitative data used by sociologists and other academic and applied researchers. Focus groups are recommended for giving voice to marginalized groups and revealing the group effect on opinion formation.  
• Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector's Field Guide (See Module 4: "Focus Groups")by Mack, N., et al.  This field guide is based on an approach to doing team-based, collaborative qualitative research that has repeatedly proven successful in research projects sponsored by Family Health International (FHI) throughout the developing world. With its straightforward delivery of information on the main qualitative methods being used in public health research today, the guide speaks to the need for simple yet effective instruction on how to do systematic and ethically sound qualitative research. The aim of the guide is thus practical. In bypassing extensive discussion on the theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research, it distinguishes itself as a how-to guide to be used in the field.

In-Depth Interviews

• A Practical Introduction to in-Depth Interviewingby Alan Morris  Are you new to qualitative research or a bit rusty and in need of some inspiration? Are you doing a research project involving in-depth interviews? Are you nervous about carrying out your interviews? This book will help you complete your qualitative research project by providing a nuts and bolts introduction to interviewing. With coverage of ethics, preparation strategies and advice for handling the unexpected in the field, this handy guide will help you get to grips with the basics of interviewing before embarking on your research. While recognising that your research question and the context of your research will drive your approach to interviewing, this book provides practical advice often skipped in traditional methods textbooks.  
• Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collector's Field Guide (See Module 3: "In-Depth Interviews")by Mack, N., et al.  This field guide is based on an approach to doing team-based, collaborative qualitative research that has repeatedly proven successful in research projects sponsored by Family Health International (FHI) throughout the developing world. With its straightforward delivery of information on the main qualitative methods being used in public health research today, the guide speaks to the need for simple yet effective instruction on how to do systematic and ethically sound qualitative research. The aim of the guide is thus practical. In bypassing extensive discussion on the theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research, it distinguishes itself as a how-to guide to be used in the field.

An interdisciplinary scientific program within the Institute for Quantitative Social Science which encourages and facilitates research and instruction in the theory and practice of survey research. The primary mission of PSR is to provide survey research resources to enhance the quality of teaching and research at Harvard.

• Internet, Phone, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveysby Don A. Dillman; Jolene D. Smyth; Leah Melani Christian  The classic survey design reference, updated for the digital age. The new edition is thoroughly updated and revised, and covers all aspects of survey research. It features expanded coverage of mobile phones, tablets, and the use of do-it-yourself surveys, and Dillman's unique Tailored Design Method is also thoroughly explained. This new edition is complemented by copious examples within the text and accompanying website. It includes: Strategies and tactics for determining the needs of a given survey, how to design it, and how to effectively administer it. How and when to use mail, telephone, and Internet surveys to maximum advantage. Proven techniques to increase response rates. Guidance on how to obtain high-quality feedback from mail, electronic, and other self-administered surveys. Direction on how to construct effective questionnaires, including considerations of layout. The effects of sponsorship on the response rates of surveys. Use of capabilities provided by newly mass-used media: interactivity, presentation of aural and visual stimuli. The Fourth Edition reintroduces the telephone--including coordinating land and mobile.

User Experience (UX) and Marketing

Ux at harvard library.

• User Experience and Market Research interviews can inform the design of tangible products and services through responsive, outcome-driven insights. The  User Research Center  at Harvard Library specializes in this kind of user-centered design, digital accessibility, and testing. They also offer guidance and  resources  to members of the Harvard Community who are interested in learning more about UX methods. Contact [email protected] or consult the URC website for more information.
• User Interviews: The Beginner’s Guide (Chris Mears)
• Interviewing Users (Jakob Nielsen)
• Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights by Steve Portigal; Grant McCracken (Foreword by)  Interviewing is a foundational user research tool that people assume they already possess. Everyone can ask questions, right? Unfortunately, that's not the case. Interviewing Users provides invaluable interviewing techniques and tools that enable you to conduct informative interviews with anyone. You'll move from simply gathering data to uncovering powerful insights about people.
• Rapid Contextual Design by Jessamyn Wendell; Karen Holtzblatt; Shelley Wood  This handbook introduces Rapid CD, a fast-paced, adaptive form of Contextual Design. Rapid CD is a hands-on guide for anyone who needs practical guidance on how to use the Contextual Design process and adapt it to tactical projects with tight timelines and resources. Rapid Contextual Design provides detailed suggestions on structuring the project and customer interviews, conducting interviews, and running interpretation sessions. The handbook walks you step-by-step through organizing the data so you can see your key issues, along with visioning new solutions, storyboarding to work out the details, and paper prototype interviewing to iterate the design all with as little as a two-person team with only a few weeks to spare *Includes real project examples with actual customer data that illustrate how a CD project actually works.

Screening for Research Site Selection

• Research interviews are used not only to furnish research data for theoretical analysis in the social sciences, but also to plan other kinds of studies. For example, interviews may allow researchers to screen appropriate research sites to conduct empirical studies (such as randomized controlled trials) in a variety of fields, from medicine to law. In contrast to interviews conducted in the course of social research, such interviews do not typically serve as the data for final analysis and publication.
• American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Folklife and Fieldwork: A Layman’s Introduction to Field Techniques Interviews gathered for purposes of folklore research are similar to standard social science interviews in some ways, but also have a good deal in common with oral history approaches to interviewing. The focus in a folklore research interview is on documenting and trying to understand the interviewee's way of life relative to a culture or subculture you are studying. This guide includes helpful advice and tips for conducting fieldwork in folklore, such as tips for planning, conducting, recording, and archiving interviews.

Handbooks and Guides

• ArcGIS StoryMaps An engaging platform for presenting your oral histories.
• American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Oral History Interviews Recommendations for planning an oral history project and tips for conducting interviews
• American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Folklife and Fieldwork: A Layman’s Introduction to Field Techniques Although folklorists tend to be more interested in documenting ways of living than history, per se, many of their methods are similar. This guide includes helpful advice for conducting fieldwork in folklore, including tips for planning, conducting, recording, and archiving interviews.
• Indigenous Studies: Oral History Provides helpful information and resources to inform respectful understanding and citation of Indigenous oral histories.
• Oral History Association: Principles and Best Practices An invaluable document for maintaining an ethical stance as a researcher, with guidance on archiving interviews and managing rights/copyright.
• Oral History Methodology (Hajek A., 2014) The case study starts with a historical outline of the advent of oral history research in Western society, its strengths and its weaknesses, before it moves to a practical exploration of oral history methodology. It explains how to set up an oral history project, how to conduct interviews and what legal concerns to keep in mind. It also provides details on recording equipment and discusses a number of potential outputs of oral history data.
• The Oral History Reader (edited by Perks, R. and Thomson, A., 2015)   A comprehensive, international anthology combining major classic articles with cutting-edge pieces on the theory, method and use of oral history.
• Webinar: Introduction to Oral History and Interviewing , Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling, Concordia University
• << Previous: Interview Research
• Next: Oral History >>

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