Strategies of qualitative inquiry

The Strategies of qualitative inquiry isolates the major strategies--historically, the research methods--that researchers can use in conducting concrete qualitative studies. The question of methods begins with the design of the research project, which Valerie Janesick describes in dance terms. Design issues also involve matters of money and funding, issues discussed by Julianne Cheek. Questions of design always begin with a socially situated observer who moves from a research question to a paradigm or perspective, and then to the empirical world. So located, the researcher then addresses a range of methods that can be employed in any study. The history and uses of these strategies are explored extensively in this volume. The chapters move from performance ethnography to case studies, issues of ethnographic representation, grounded theory strategies, testimonies, life histories, participatory action research, and clinical research.