Silverman - Interpreting qualitative data

• David Silverman

SAGE Publications Ltd

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Be sure to visit the companion website to this book at https://study.sagepub.com/silvermaniqd5e to find a range of teaching and learning materials for both lecturers and students, including the following:

• Methodspace page: link to a Methodspace group for the book (www.methodspace.com/group/silverman) where readers can give feedback, discuss issues and pose questions about their research directly to the author.
• Additional case studies and examples: engaging and relevant case studies to help illustrate the main concepts in each chapter.
• Full-text journal articles: full access to selected SAGE journal articles related to each chapter, providing students with a deeper understanding of key topics.
• Links to useful websites, podcasts and YouTube videos: an assortment of direct links to relevant websites for each chapter.
• Student exercises: thought-provoking questions for each chapter that are intended to help students think critically about their own research.
• Model answers: to exercises found in this book.
• Helpful tips: valuable considerations for students doing their own research.
• Recommended reading: suggestions for further reading.

This new edition has been substantially rewritten. Drawing upon comments from readers of the fourth edition, I have made the following changes:

• A new chapter on generalising from case study research which addresses the perennial issue of How many cases do you need?
• The organisation of the book is simplified: there are now only three sections and discussion of how to make qualitative research credible is moved to an earlier position, immediately after the chapter on case study research.
• Throughout the book, consistent use is made of two qualitative research models: naturalism and constructionism. This is in line with current usage and, I believe, makes the book easier for students to follow.
• Many more recent case study examples drawn from a broad range of disciplines including business, education, social work and geography as well as health studies.
• Greater attention to research based on Internet data including netnography (Kozinets, 2010).
• has a new introduction outlining the meaning of research.
• now includes a discussion of mixed methods.
• a new section on netnography.
• has new sections on organisational documents (including a discussion of corporate social responsibility) and on documents of everyday life (e.g. blogs and diaries).
• now makes it clear that writing a research report should not be a linear process.
• are illustrated with case examples from a wider range of disciplines.
• Where the number of an exercise appears in red, the books website includes a model answer.
• For ease of access, all links provided in this book now appear in the website. All links listed in this book were checked in early 2014.

My aim has been to develop the book further as an undergraduate introductory qualitative methods text which complements the postgraduate focus of Doing Qualitative Research. Rather than attempting to turn this volume into simply an undergraduate research project book, my focus is on introducing first-degree students to the theory, methods and practice of qualitative research. In this way, I have tried to make this book suitable for both taught courses and research projects at the undergraduate level.