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Qualitative Methods for Health Research
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Qualitative Methods for Health Research

Fourth Edition
Additional resources:


March 2018 | 440 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

Packed with practical advice and research quick tips, this book is the perfect companion to your health research project. It not only explains the theory of qualitative health research so you can interpret the studies of others, but also showcases how to approach, start, maintain, and disseminate your own research. 

It will help you:

  • Understand the role of the researcher
  • Develop an effective research proposal
  • Seek ethical approval
  • Conduct interviews, observational studies, mixed methods, and web-based designs
  • Use secondary and digital sources
  • Code, manage, and analyse data
  • Write up your results

Whether you are studying public health, sports medicine, occupational therapy, nursing, midwifery, or another health discipline, the authors will be your surrogate supervisors and guide you through evaluating or undertaking any type of health research.

 
Part I: Principles and Approaches in Qualitative Health Research
 
Chapter 1: Qualitative Methodology in Health Research
What is qualitative research?

 
Qualitative research and evidence based practice

 
The orientations of qualitative research

 
Some assumptions about qualitative research

 
 
Chapter 2: The Role of Theory
Macro theory

 
Middle range theory

 
Theories of knowledge

 
 
Chapter 3: Developing Qualitative Research Proposals
Research questions

 
Selecting appropriate study designs

 
Pragmatic influences on research design

 
A qualitative approach to design

 
Writing a research proposal

 
Sampling strategies

 
 
Chapter 4: Responsibilities, Ethics and Values
Values in research

 
Ethical review and codes of practice

 
Informed consent

 
Confidentiality

 
Responsibilities to research participants

 
Ethical dilemmas and conflicts

 
Responsibilities to yourself and co-workers

 
Responsibilities to commissioners and the public

 
 
Part II: Generating Data
 
Chapter 5: In-depth Interviews
The research interview

 
A word on language

 
Language and translation

 
What interviews can and can’t do

 
Asking questions and listening to answers

 
Context and data

 
Planning interviews

 
Using visual methods in interviews

 
 
Chapter 6: Group Interviews and Discussions
An overview of different kinds of groups used in qualitative research

 
Consensus panels

 
Community interviews and participatory methods

 
Focus group discussions

 
Natural groups

 
Advantages of using group interviews

 
Naturalism

 
Limitations

 
Planning group interview studies

 
 
Chapter 7: Observational Methods
Participation and observation

 
Ethnography and medical anthropology

 
Ethnographies of medicine, health and health care

 
Managing fieldwork roles

 
Planning an ethnographic study

 
Rapid ethnographic methods

 
Using participation and observation in interviews

 
Non-participant observation

 
 
Chapter 8: Using Secondary Sources
Why use existing sources?

 
Public records

 
Personal documents

 
Mass media outputs

 
Research outputs

 
Policy reports

 
Material artefacts

 
Methodological issues in using documentary sources

 
 
Chapter 9: Qualitative Research in a Digital Age
Questions about health, health care and technology

 
Researching virtual sites

 
Recruitment on line: social media

 
Technology platforms as part of the context of data generation

 
Ethical issues in digital research

 
Dissemination and knowledge exchange

 
 
Part III: Managing and Analysing Data
 
Chapter 10: Beginning Data Analysis
Styles of analysis

 
Aims of analysis

 
Data preparation and management

 
Qualitative description

 
Thematic content analysis

 
Framework analysis

 
Reliability and validity

 
Computer aided qualitative analysis

 
 
Chapter 11: Developing Qualitative Analysis
Rigour is not enough

 
Discourse analysis

 
Grounded theory

 
Narrative analysis

 
Beyond talk and text

 
Some strategies for thinking more analytically

 
Generalizability and transferability

 
 
Part IV: Qualitative Research in Practice
 
Chapter 12: Integrating Methods, Designs and Disciplines
Rationales for mixing methods within qualitative studies

 
Combining qualitative and quantitative designs

 
Qualitative research within evaluative designs

 
Combining designs in practice

 
Developing trans-disciplinary research

 
Enhancing collaboration

 
 
Chapter 13: Reading, Appraising and Integrating Qualitative Research
Reading critically

 
Formal critical appraisal for empirical studies

 
Criteria in ethnography

 
Systematic reviews

 
Integrating qualitative findings

 
Meta-ethnography

 
 
Chapter 14: Dissemination: reaching and engaging with audiences
The writing process

 
Writing for different audiences

 
Writing for health journals

 
Writing for social science colleagues

 
Practical issues to consider when writing research reports

 
Dissemination from collaborative projects

 
Communicating with non-specialist audiences

 

This book is the clear and extensive introduction to qualitative health research. It is useful for all under and post graduate students, and even for PhDs with quantitative background.

Kirsi Lumme-Sandt
Health Sciences, University of Tampere

A thoughtful, thorough and readable account of the history and current practice of qualitative research in health. 

Louise Keogh
Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne

An enormously helpful resource for anyone interested in interpreting and conducting qualitative health research. In addition to describing complex social theory in an easily digestible style, it also provides a practical ‘how to’ guide for all the stages of qualitative data collection, analysis and dissemination. Filled with useful examples, it brings qualitative health research to life in a way that is both engaging and highly accessible. It is a must read for students and experienced scholars alike!


Sara Cooper
School of Public Health & Family Medicine, University of Cape Town

This new edition of Green and Thorogood’s excellent textbook should be required reading for health professionals considering undertaking qualitative research. Along with a practical introduction to the theory and methods of qualitative research, this revised edition expands on the importance of theory for qualitative research, the use of secondary sources and digital methods in data collection and the integration of methods, disciplines and designs within research. It continues to be a core text for any qualitative methods training for students in health and related disciplines. 

Stephen Clayton
Global and Public Health, Edge Hill University

Very good basic introduction, focus on ethnography and observation as essential qual. research designs/methods. Great book also for nursing science students.

Ms Sandra Staudacher
Institute of Nursing Science, University of Basel
February 7, 2022

This is an great resource for students undertaking qualitative methods for the first time. Additionally, it provides a great go-to for those further along in their use of these methods.

Dr Stuart Miller
School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London
January 5, 2022

An informative introduction to qualitative research with practical advice and real-world examples.

Mrs Marie Molloy
Dept Nursing & Primary Care Practice, Liverpool John Moores University
June 25, 2018

An excellent resource for graduate and post graduate students in health research.

Dr Elfrieda Fleischmann
Geography and research, Cedar College
September 12, 2018

Added to my reading list for three modules-like the clear writing style, and 'how to' guides-useful for both undergraduate and post graduate students

Mrs Carol Ellis
Allied Health & Medicine (Chelmsford), Anglia Ruskin University
September 24, 2019

I enjoyed reading this. Its an excellent practical book that helped organise and conduct qualitative research, safe in the knowledge that the project would be robust and credible. It also serves a s a useful reference for supervision.

Mr Brian McGowan
School of Nursing (Magee Campus), Ulster University
February 7, 2019