About the Book
Drawing on more than 40 years of experience conducting applied social science research and program evaluation, author Michael Quinn Patton has crafted the most comprehensive and systematic book on qualitative research and evaluation methods, inquiry frameworks, and analysis options available today. Now offering more balance between applied research and evaluation, this Fourth Edition illuminates all aspects of qualitative inquiry through new examples, stories, and cartoons; more than a hundred new summarizing and synthesizing exhibits; and a wide range of new highlight sections/sidebars that elaborate on important and emergent issues. For the first time, full case studies are included to illustrate extended research and evaluation examples. In addition, each chapter features an extended "rumination," written in a voice and style more emphatic and engaging than traditional textbook style, about a core issue of persistent debate and controversy.
Table of Contents:
Part 1. Framing Qualitative Inquiry: Theory Informs Practice, Practice Informs Theory
Chapter 1. The Nature, Niche, and Value of Qualitative Inquiry
Module 1. How qualitative inquiry contributes to our understanding of the world
Module 2. What makes qualitative data qualitative
Module 3. Making methods decisions
Module 4. The fruit of qualitative methods: Chapter summary and conclusion
Chapter 2. Strategic Themes in Qualitative Inquiry
Module 5. Strategic design principles for qualitative inquiry
Module 6. Strategic principles guiding data collection and fieldwork
Module 7. Strategic principles for qualitative analysis and reporting findings
Module 8: Integrating the 12 strategic qualitative principles in practice
Chapter 3. Variety of Qualitative Inquiry Frameworks: Paradigmatic, Philosophical, and Theoretical Orientations
Module 9. Understanding the Paradigms Debate: Quants versus Quals
Module 10. Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry Frameworks
Module 11. Ethnography and Autoethnography
Module 12. Positivism, Postpositivism, Empiricism and Foundationalist Epistemologies
Module 13. Grounded Theory and Realism
Module 14 Phenomenology and Heuristic Inquiry
Module 15 Social Constructionism, Constructivism, Postmodernism, and Narrative Inquiry
Module 16. Ethnomethodology, Semiotics, and Symbolic Interaction, Hermeneutics and Ecological Psychology
Module 17 Systems Theory and Complexity Theory
Module 18. Pragmatism, Generic Qualitative Inquiry, and Utilization-Focused Evaluation
Module 19 Patterns and themes across inquiry frameworks: Chapter summary and conclusions
Chapter 4. Practical and Actionable Qualitative Applications
Module 20. Practical purposes, concrete questions, and actionable answers: Illuminating and enhancing quality
Module 21. Program evaluation applications: Focus on outcomes
Module 22 Specialized qualitative evaluation applications
Module 23 Evaluating program models and theories of change, and evaluation models especially aligned with qualitative methods
Module 24 Interactive and participatory qualitative applications
Module 25 Democratic evaluation, indigenous research and evaluation, capacity building, and cultural competence
Module 26 Special methodological applications
Module 27 A vision of the utility of qualitative methods: Chapter summary and conclusion
Part 2. Qualitative Designs and Data Collection
Chapter 5. Designing Qualitative Studies
Module 28 Design thinking: Questions derive from purpose, design answers questions
Module 29 Date Collection Decisions
Module 30 Purposeful sampling and case selection: Overview of strategies and options
Module 31 Single-significant-case sampling as a design strategy
Module 32 Comparison-focused sampling options
Module 33 Group characteristics sampling strategies and options
Module 34 Concept and theoretical sampling strategies and options
Module 35. Instrumental-use multiple-case sampling
Module 36 Sequential and emergence-driven sampling strategies and options
Module 37 Analytically focused sampling
Module 38 Mixed, stratified, and nested purposeful sampling strategies
Module 39 Information-rich cases
Module 40 Sample size for qualitative designs
Module 41 Mixed methods designs
Module 42 Qualitative design chapter summary and conclusion: Methods choices and decisions
Chapter 6. Fieldwork Strategies and Observation Methods
Module 43 The Power of direct observation
Module 44. Variations in observational methods
Module 45. Variations in duration of observations and site visits: From rapid reconnaissance to longitudinal studies over years
Module 46. Variations in observational focus and summary of dimensions along which fieldwork varies
Module 47. What to observe: Sensitizing concepts
Module 48. Integrating what to observe with how to observe
Module 49. Unobtrusive observations and indicators, and documents and archival fieldwork
Module 50. Observing oneself: Reflexivity and Creativity, and Review of Fieldwork Dimensions
Module 51. Doing Fieldwork: The Data Gathering Process
Module 52. Stages of fieldwork: Entry into the field
Module 53. Routinization of fieldwork: The dynamics of the second stage
Module 54. Bringing fieldwork to a close
Module 55. The observer and what is observed: Unity, separation, and reactivity
Module 56. Chapter summary and conclusion: Guidelines for fieldwork
Chapter 7. Qualitative Interviewing
Module 57 The Interview Society: Diversity of applications
Module 58 Distinguishing interview approaches and types of interviews
Module 59 Question options and skilled question formulation
Module 60 Rapport, neutrality, and the interview relationship
Module 61 Interviewing groups and cross-cultural interviewing
Module 62. Creative modes of qualitative inquiry
Module 63. Ethical issues and challenges in qualitative interviewing
Module 64. Personal reflections on interviewing, and chapter summary and conclusion
Part 3. Analysis, Interpretation, and Reporting
Chapter 8. Qualitative Analysis and Interpretation
Module 65. Setting the Context for Qualitative Analysis: Challenge, Purpose, and Focus
Module 66. Thick description and case studies: The bedrock of qualitative analysis
Module 67. Qualitative Analysis Approaches: Identifying Patterns and Themes
Module 68. The intellectual and operational work of analysis
Module 69. Logical and matrix analyses, and synthesizing qualitative studies
Module 70. Interpreting findings, determining substantive significance, phenomenological essence, and hermeneutic interpretation
Module 71. Causal explanation thorough qualitative analysis
Module 72. New analysis directions: Contribution analysis, participatory analysis, and qualitative counterfactuals
Module 73. Writing up and reporting findings, including using visuals
Module 74. Special analysis and reporting issues: Mixed methods, focused communications, and principles-focused report exemplar.
Module 75 Chapter summary and conclusion, plus case study exhibits
Chapter 9. Enhancing the Quality and Credibility of Qualitative Studies
Module 76. Analytical processes for enhancing credibility: systematically engaging and questioning the data
Module 77. Four triangulation processes for enhancing credibility
Module 78. Alternative and competing criteria for judging the quality of qualitative inquiries: Part 1, universal criteria, and traditional scientific research versus constructivist criteria
Module 79. Alternative and competing criteria, Part 2: artistic, participatory, critical change, systems, pragmatic, and mixed criteria
Module 80 Credibility of the inquirer
Module 81 Generalizations, Extrapolations, Transferability, Principles, and Lessons learned
Module 82 Enhancing the credibility and utility of qualitative inquiry by addressing philosophy of science issues
About the Author :
Michael Quinn Patton is author of more than a dozen books on evaluation including Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods, 4th ed (2015), Blue Marble Evaluation (2020), Principles-Focused Evaluation (2018), Facilitating Evaluation (2018) and Developmental Evaluation (2011). Based in Minnesota, he was on the faculty of the University of Minnesota for 18 years and is a former president of the American Evaluation Association (AEA). Michael is a recipient of the Alva and Gunnar Myrdal Evaluation Practice Award, the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Evaluation Theory Award, and the Research on Evaluation Award, all from AEA He has also received the Lester F. Ward Distinguished Contribution to Applied and Clinical Sociology Award from the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology. In 2021 he received the first Transformative Evaluator Award from EvalYouth. He is an active speaker, trainer, and workshop presenter who has conducted applied research and evaluation on a broad range of issues and has worked with organizations and programs at the international, national, state, provincial, and local levels. Michael has three children—a musician, an engineer, and an evaluator—and four grandchildren. When not evaluating, he enjoys exploring the woods and rivers of Minnesota, where he lives.
Review :
"Very thoughtful and thorough coverage of qualitative design and study."
"The content itself, based in years of thinking, reading, doing, conversing, is a huge strength. Reading the chapters is like sitting at the feet of one of the masters."
"I can’t emphasize enough the quality, detail, and depth of the presentation of research design and methods… Students and experienced researchers will appreciate the depth of presentation of potential qualitative paradigms, theoretical orientations and frameworks as well as special methodological applications that are often not covered in other qualitative texts."
"It is refreshing to see a text that engages the multiple philosophical and historical trajectories within a qualitative research tradition while integrating this discussion so well with the practice of research design, fieldwork strategies, and data analysis."
