Qualitative Methods for Practice Research, Pocket Guides to Research

If you were expecting a straightforward introduction to qualitative research methods in social work, then you may be a little disappointed, as Qualitative Methods for Practice Research offers something a little different. It is not meant to be a comprehensive guide to qualitative research methods; this is beyond the scope of this pocket guide. Rather, it is focused on how to consider the creative tensions that inevitably exist between theory and practice. While it provides some helpful ways of thinking about how to do research, the authors are more interested in providing an insight into the reasons to do so. In short, it provides a rationale for considering qualitative methods together with some concrete examples of their use, especially in relation to mental health practice settings. Initially, in Chapter One, the authors explore the philosophical underpinnings of social sciences which are central to the rest of the book. While there is a particular focus on critical realism, other methodological positions are also considered, though these are often not clearly signposted and, as such, would make it difficult for someone to dip into. This chapter also considers how qualitative methods can be used to investigate the application of theory to social work practice. Chapter Two explores how qualitative research can be used in ‘engaged scholarship projects’. This includes a consideration of how aims and questions are formulated, with useful examples employed. There is also an excellent quick-start guide to thematic, grounded theory and narrative data analytic strategies which can be used alongside various data collection techniques. Finally, considerable attention is given to the use of computer software in qualitative analysis in the form of ATLAS.ti. This provides a quick-start guide clearly taking the reader through various stages of the coding process. Chapter Three focuses on institutional ethnography and shows how it can be used to study policy implementation with a particular focus on mental health. While this section utilises a specific in-depth example to facilitate our understanding of the ethnographic process, some areas would benefit from still greater depth. For instance, although the sample and recruitment are mentioned, further evidence about what different sampling strategies could have been employed, their strengths and weaknesses and how ethical considerations are addressed would have been beneficial. Chapter Four focuses on how an engaged scholarship perspective is adapted to the practice of evidence-based interventions and how to allow context and particularity to inform implementation. This is crucial given the significant focus placed on evidence-based practice in social work decision making today. Finally, it concludes with a brief chapter on the role of reflexivity in engaged scholarship and the need to consider ourselves in relation to other contexts, and also our contexts in relation to ourselves. These debates are placed within the framework of methodological debates and theories of knowledge.

Critical realism (philosophy of perception) · Engineering ethics · Epistemology · Grounded theory · Management science · Narrative · Qualitative research · Realism · Scholarship · Scope (computer science) · Social science · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Computer Science · Engineering · Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice