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This book invites readers to explore the nature of qualitative research, and to recognise the varied and conflicting forms it can take. It examines how these contrast with quantitative work, as well as how they differ from journalism and imaginative literature. The book describes various methodological philosophies that have shaped qualitative work, as well as different types of orientation to be found within it today. It offers clear definitions of key terms and concepts, and also a detailed exploration of recent disputes among qualitative researchers, with a view to showing how...

This book provides an inviting introduction to qualitative research, one that is designed to stimulate reflection on its character and prospects. What is Qualitative Research? offers clear definitions of key terms and concepts, as well as a thorough discussion of the various kinds of data used. Different types of qualitative investigation are examined, and key concepts and issues discussed. There will also be an examination of important debates within qualitative research about its proper character and future direction. This book examines the nature of qualitative research, the...

This is the companion volume to Educational Research in Action (edited by Roger Gomm and Peter Woods). It is one of two course readers for The Open University course E824 Educational Research Methods.

Educational research and its relationship with policy making and practice has been a perennial concern. This book deals with some basic and controversial questions about that issue, including:

- Can there be harmony in the relationship between researchers and educational policymakers or practitioners?

- Do increases in knowledge always lead to practical improvement, and never to undesirable consequences?

- Would educational research flourish if it were subjected to more central, and external, control?

- What is the role of research reviews in making the...

What forms of knowledge can social science claim to produce? Does it employ causal analysis, and if so what does this entail? What role should values play in the work of social scientists?

These are the questions addressed in this book. They are closely interrelated, and the answers offered here challenge many currently prevailing assumptions. They carry implications both for research practice, quantitative or qualitative, and for the public claims that social scientists make about the value of their work.

The arguments underpinning this challenge to conventional wisdom are...

Key questions explored include:

- Is scientific research evidence-based?

- What counts as evidence for evidence-based practice?

- Is social measurement possible, and is it necessary?

- What are the...

In recent years, the importance of disseminating the findings of social research has been given increased emphasis. The most effective way in which this can be done is via the mass media. However, there are frequent complaints that media coverage of social and educational research is very limited and often distorted. Through a detailed analysis of a particular case about ethnic inequalities in educational achievement, this book examines some of the processes involved in the reporting of research findings, and their implications for judgements about media distortion and bias. This volume is...