A Guide to Qualitative Field Research

Book excerpt: A Guide to Qualitative Field Research provides readers with clear, practical, and specific instructions for conducting qualitative research in the field. In the expanded Third Edition, Carol A. Bailey gives increased attention to the early and last stages of field research, often the most difficult: selecting a topic, deciding upon the purpose of your research, and writing the final paper, all in her signature reader-friendly writing style. This edition features research examples from graduate and undergraduate students to make examples meaningful to fellow students; a new “Putting It All Together” feature, with examples of how different parts of the research process interact; and more emphasis on the “nuts and bolts” of research, such as what to include in an informed consent form, a proposal, and the final paper. New to this Edition: Objectives features help students focus on the skills they need to develop and can be used as the basis for evaluating whether the skills have been achieved. Expanded coverage of research in virtual settings ensures that readers get a well-rounded understanding of both in-person and digital research methods. Examples of research conducted by students help students generate ideas for their own research, provides concrete examples of the material discussed in the guide, and illustrates that field research is not just done by advanced scholars.