Qualitative Research in Nursing and Healthcare

Qualitative Research in Nursing and Healthcare is an invaluable resource for those who carry out qualitative research in the healthcare arena. It is intended to assist:

Professionals and academics in the healthcare field who undertake or teach research in clinical or educational settings; Postgraduates who are undertaking qualitative research and want to revise qualitative research approaches and procedures before going on to more specialist texts; and Undergraduates in their last year who wish to learn about qualitative perspectives or carry out a project using these approaches.

Fully updated from the earlier editions by Holloway and Wheeler, it reflects recent developments in nursing research. This new edition provides clear explanations of abstract ideas in qualitative research as well as practical procedures. Structured into four sections, the book looks at the initial stages, methods of data collection, qualitative approaches and analysis of collected data. It also contains a chapter on writing up and publishing qualitative research.

With applied and practical examples throughout, Qualitative Research in Nursing and Healthcare is essential reading for those who are looking for a comprehensive introduction to qualitative research.  

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION TO QUALITITVIE RESEARCH: INITIAL STAGES

1. The Main Features and Uses of Qualitative research

What is qualitative research?

The characteristics of qualitative inquiry

The place of theory in qualitative research

The use of qualitative research in healthcare

Choosing an approach for health research

Problematic issues

Conclusion

Summary

References

2. The Paradigm Debate: The Place of  Qualitative Research

Theoretical frameworks and ontological position

The paradigm debate

Conflicting or complementary perspectives

Final comment

References

3. Initial Steps in the Research Process

Selecting and formulating the research question

The literature review

Writing a research proposal

Access and entry to the setting

Summary

4. Ethical Issues

The basic ethical framework for research

Ethics in qualitative research

Researching one s peers

The research relationship

Research in the researcher s workplace

The role of ethics committees

Summary

References

5. Supervision of Qualitative Research

The responsibilities of supervisor and student

Writing and relationships

Practical aspects of supervision

Single or joint supervision

Summary

References

PART TWO: DATA COLLECTION

6. Interviewing

Interviews as sources of data

The interview process

Types of interview

Probing, prompting and summarising

The social context of the interview

Unexpected outcomes: Qualitative Interviewing and Therapy

Length and timing of interviews

Recording interview data

The interviewer–participant relationship

Problematic issues and challenges in interviewing

Interviewing through electronic media

Ethical issues in interviewing

Strengths and weaknesses of interviewing

Summary

References

7. Participant Observation and Documents as Sources of Data

Participant observation

The origins of participant observation

Immersion in culture and setting

Types of Observation

Problems in observation

Documentary sources of data

Summary

References

8. Focus groups as Qualitative Research

What is a focus group?

The origin and purpose of focus groups

Sample size and composition

Conduction focus group interviews

Analysing and reporting focus group data

The advantages and limitations

Summary

References

9. Sampling Strategies

Sampling decisions

Purposeful or purposive sampling

A variety of sampling types

Giving a label to the participants

Summary

References

PART THREE: APPROACHES TO QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

10. Ethnography

The development of ethnography

Ethnographic methods

Ethnography in healthcare

The main features of ethnography

Fieldwork

Doing and writing ethnography

Pitfalls and problems

Summary

References

11. Grounded theory

History and Origin

The main features of grounded theory

Data collection, theoretical sampling and analysis

Pitfalls and problems

Glaser s critique and further development

Constructivist grounded theory

Which approach for the health researcher?

Summary

References

12. Narrative Inquiry

The nature of narrative and story

Narrative research

Illness narratives

Narrative interviewing

Narrative analysis

Problematic issues

Conclusion

Summary

References

13. Phenomenology

Intentionality and the early stages of phenomenology

Schools of phenomenology

Phenomenology and health research

Choice of approach: Descriptive or interpretive phenomenology

Procedures for data collection and analysis

The phenomenological research process: Doing phenomenology

Procedures for data collection and analysis

Summary

References

14. Action Research

The origins of action research

Action research in healthcare

The main features of action research

Practical steps

Trustworthiness in AR

Problems and critique

Summary

References  

15. Additional Approaches

Case study research

Conversation analysis

Critical incident technique

Discourse analysis

Performative social science

Summary

References

16. Mixing Methods

The nature of mixed methods research

Doing mixed methods research

Types of mixed methods research

The place and purpose of the literature

Triangulation

Critique of MMR

Conclusion

Summary

References 

PART FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINAL STAGES

17. Data Analysis: Procedures, Practices and the Use of Computers

Coding and categorising

Analytical styles

Problems of QDA

Computer–aided analysis of qualitative data

References

18. Establishing Quality: Trustworthiness and Validity

The concept of validity in qualitative research

An alternative perspective: Trustworthiness

Strategies to ensure trustworthiness

Quality and creativity

Summary

References

19. Writing Up Qualitative Research

Use of the first person

The format of the report

Critical assessment and evaluation

Guide to evaluation

Publishing and presenting the research

Summary

References

Final note

Glossary