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.

About the Author
Carol A. Bailey is an associate professor emerita of sociology at Virginia Tech. She has won numerous teaching awards at the department and university level, including the Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence and the Wine Award for Excellence in Teaching. She taught undergraduate research methods and graduate-level courses on qualitative methodology and pedagogy. Once the Director of the University Writing Program, her research focused on evaluating programs that promote science education and those that serve children with severe mental illnesses and their families.

Reviews

"Methods texts often suffer from dry material and inaccessible definitions. This text makes methods accessible through an inviting, jargon-free tone, and engaging through its many creative suggestions for applying the lessons in hands-on exercises."

-- Andrew Nelson

"This book offers a very comprehensive examination of fieldwork that includes practical and theoretical guidance for all students-undergraduate and graduate. The inclusion of online participant-observation considerations sets this book apart from all the others."

-- Pamela A. Kaylor

"So much more than most methods texts, this text actually offers the tools and examples to help students actually plan and do research. Full of practical examples, useful tips, frameworks and tactics, this text is a great primer for students who want to get out into the field"

-- Raymond Dart

"A Guide to Qualitative Research is an invaluable handbook for students embarking on qualitative research. Comprehensive, detailed, and engaging, it covers all of the key elements of qualitative research and is an insightful and practical text to inspire and guide future qualitative researchers."

-- Katja M. Guenther

"Carol Bailey's work is of the highest quality. I wholeheartedly consider it to be one of the better qualitative fieldwork texts geared toward neophyte students of qualitative research that I have come across in many years. It is obvious that she put some time into thinking about and conceptually organizing the book. It all flows together quite nicely with an engaging and crisp writing style that will keep readers attention."

-- Michael Birzer

"A Guide to Qualitative Field Research is an accessible introduction to the design and conduct of qualitative research. For students new to this methodology, this text provides insight into key concepts and issues that should be part of their methodological toolkit, so that they know how to begin their studies, what to expect along the way, and strategies to address those "bumps" that are all too common in field research."

-- Amira Proweller



Book Information
ISBN 9781506306995
Author Carol R. Bailey
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint SAGE Publications Inc
Publisher SAGE Publications Inc
Weight(grams) 470g