Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography, 2nd edition

Edited by Iain Hay

Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 2005

ISBN 019555079X

This popular and successful book provides concise and accessible guidance on the conduct of qualitative research in human geography. The book is aimed primarily at an audience of undergraduate students in second- and third-year topics, but much of the material covered will be of considerable interest to students commencing post-graduate study. The chapters have been written with the dual intent of providing novice researchers with clear ideas on how they might go about conducting their own qualitative research thoroughly and successfully and of offering university academics a teaching-and-learning framework around which additional materials and exercises on research methods can be developed.
Contents


List of Boxes
List of Figures
Notes on Contributors
Preface

PART 1 ‘INTRODUCING’ QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

1 Qualitative Research and Its Place in Human Geography
Hilary P. M. Winchester

Chapter overview
Introduction
What is qualitative research?
What questions does qualitative research answer?
Types of qualitative research
The contribution of qualitative techniques to explanation
in geography
The relationship between qualitative and quantitative geography
The history of qualitative research in geography
Contemporary qualitative geography—theory/method links
Summary
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

2 Power, Subjectivity and Ethics in Qualitative Research
Robyn Dowling

Chapter overview
Introduction: on the social relations of research
University ethical guidelines
Privacy and confidentiality
Informed consent
Harm
Moving beyond ethical guidelines: critical reflexivity
Power relations and qualitative research
Subjectivity and intersubjectivity in qualitative data collection
Summary and prompts for critical reflexivity
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

3 Cross-Cultural Research: Ethics, Methods and Relationships
Richie Howitt and Stan Stevens

Chapter overview: an explanation of our writing method
Modes of cross-cultural engagement: colonial, postcolonial, decolonizing and inclusionary research
Getting started: research legitimacy and local authorization
Doing the work
The scale politics of cross-cultural research projects
Social/cultural transmission and creation of knowledge
Collaborative and participatory research
Constructing legitimacy
Making sense, reaching conclusions
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

4 Writing A Compelling Research Proposal
Janice Monk and Richard Bedford

Chapter overview
The research challenge
Where do research ideas come from?
Getting started
Specifying your research question
Framing your research
Developing your methodology
Writing the proposal
Seeking funding for research
A concluding comment
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

5 Qualitative Research Design and Rigour
Matt Bradshaw and Elaine Stratford

Chapter overview
Introduction
Asking research questions
From asking research questions to conducting research
Selecting cases and participants
Selecting cases
Selecting participants
How to select participants
How many participants to select
Ensuring rigour
Final comments
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading


PART 2 ‘DOING’ QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

6 Interviewing
Kevin Dunn

Chapter overview
Interviewing in geography
Types of interviewing
Strengths of interviewing
Interview design
The interview schedule or guide
Types of questions
Ordering questions and topics
Structured interviewing
Semi-structured interviewing
Unstructured interviewing
Interviewing practice
Contact
The interview relation
Closing the interview
Recording and transcribing interviews
Recording
Transcribing the data
Assembling fieldnote files
Analysing interview data
Presenting interview data
Conclusion
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

7 Oral History and Human Geography
Karen George and Elaine Stratford

Chapter overview
Introduction
What is oral history and why use it in geographical research?
How is oral history different from interviewing?
Starting ethically
Getting to know your informant – the preliminary meeting
Sensitive issues
Multiple interviews
The question of questions
Interview structure
Questioning the source
Sound quality, interview sites and other technical issues
Why and how to make oral history accessible?
Uses of oral history – spreading the word
Last words
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

8 Focussing on the Focus Group
Jenny Cameron

Chapter overview
What are focus groups?
Using focus groups in geography
Planning and conducting focus groups
Selecting participants
Composition of focus groups
Size and number of groups
Recruiting participants
Questions and topics
Conducting focus groups
Analysing and presenting results
Conclusion
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

9 Historical Research and Archival Sources
Michael Roche

Chapter overview
Introduction
What is archival research?
Advice on conducting good historical and archival research
Challenges of archival research
Ethics and archives
Presenting the results of archival research
Conclusion
Key terms
Review Questions
Suggested readings


10 Using Questionnaires in Qualitative Human Geography
Pauline M. McGuirk and Phillip O’Neill

Chapter overview
Introduction
Questionnaire design and format
Sampling
Pre-testing
Modes of questionnaire distribution
Maximising questionnaire response rates
Analysing questionnaire data
Conclusion
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

11 Doing Discourse Analysis
Gordon Waitt

Chapter overview
Introduction: geographical knowledge as an expression of human ideas
Foucauldian discourse analysis as a break with previous textual analysis
Introducing discourse
Discursive structures/formations
Genealogy
Power
Regime of truth
Doing Foucauldian discourse analysis and writing geography
What sources are required for discourse analysis?
What strategies are helpful to scrutinise the structure of discourse?
What strategies are helpful for investigating the social circumstances in which discourse is produced?
Reflecting on the method
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

12 Knowing Seeing? Undertaking Observational Research
Robin A. Kearns

Chapter overview
Purposes of observation
Types of observation
Participant observation
Power, knowledge and observation
Stages of participant observation
Choice of setting
Access
Field relations
Talking and listening
Recording data
Analysis and presentation
Ethical obligations
Reflecting on the method
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

13 Participatory Action Research
Sara Kindon

Chapter overview
What is participatory action research?
The value and rewards of participatory action research in human geography
Conducting ‘good’ participatory action research
The value and rewards of participatory action research
Challenges and strategies
Presenting results
Reflecting on participatory action research
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading


PART 3 ‘INTERPRETING AND COMMUNICATING’ THE RESULTS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

14 Coding Qualitative Data
Meghan Cope

Chapter overview
Introduction
Types of coding
The purposes of coding
How to get started with coding
Developing the coding structure
Coding with others
Being in the world, coding the world
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

15 Computers, Qualitative Data and Geographic Research
Robin Peace and Bettina van Hoven

Chapter overview
Introduction
FAQs—Frequently Asked Questions
Who else is using CAQDAS?
Tool kit technology
What is CAQDAS? (Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Systems)
Different types of software
Text retrievers/ Text base managers
Code and retrieve
Code based theory building
Graphic display
Considerations for choosing CAQDAS: Advantages and concerns
More than ‘cut and paste’
The vocational argument
Some concerns
Future directions
Key terms
Review questions
Key internet resources
Finding out more about CAQDA
Finding out more about qualitative research
Finding out more about computers
Product pages for specific software packages
Electronic journals
Email discussion lists
Internet sites for geographers
Suggested reading

16 Writing Qualitative Geographies, Constructing Geographical Knowledges
Juliana Mansvelt and Lawrence D. Berg

Chapter overview
Styles of presentation
Positivist and neo-positivist approaches: universal objectivity
Post-positivist approaches: situated knowledges
Balancing description and interpretation—observation and theory
The role of ‘theory’ and the constitution of ‘truth’
Writing and researching as mutually constitutive practices
Issues of validity and authenticity
Conclusion
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

17 From Personal to Public: Communicating Qualitative Research for Public Consumption
Dydia DeLyser and Eric Pawson

Chapter overview
Introduction
Why communicate?
Communicating with a general audience
Structure and creativity
Convincing the audience
Conclusion
Key terms
Review questions
Suggested reading

Glossary
References
Index

 

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