Qualitative Communication Research Methods

While many volumes discuss qualitative methods, only Qualitative Communication Research Methods focuses on the history and diversity of their use within the communication discipline. This volume is written by, for, and about communication scholars. It introduces readers from any background to every step of the qualitative research process, from developing research topics and questions, all the way through writing a final report. In addition to covering the scope of theories and methods currently used in qualitative communication research, this book also discusses important trends influencing the future of that research. Key features in this new edition include: - A more clear and direct writing style, suitable for use in both undergraduate and graduate courses. - Numerous practical examples and exercises designed to reinforce student learning of concepts. - A critical guide to the contexts of qualitative research. More than ever, qualitative researchers operate in institutional contexts that present new dilemmas. The book brings readers up to date on related ethical, political, and practical issues, including: the influences of globalization on the design and conduct of research; the appropriate use of recording technology in conducting fieldwork; the unique challenges and opportunities related to studying multi-media, on-line environments; and ongoing innovation and controversy surrounding genres and formats of qualitative writing. - An integrated "suite" of chapters on data-producing methods. In addition to updated discussions of participant-observation and qualitative interviewing, this edition includes a new chapter on the study of material culture and documents. Together, these three chapters help readers to learn how fieldwork methods can successfully combine in a flexible, integrated fashion. - Cutting-edge technological developments. The book informs and advises readers about the latest developments in technology for qualitative communication research. This discussion focuses on how "new" media - such as e-mail, texting, cell phone video, and blogging - not only form topics of research, but also the means of recording, analyzing, and textually "representing" data.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction to Qualitative Communication Research Introduction: Working With (and Studying) Cops Four Paradigms and (Maybe) a Funeral: A Brief History of Qualitative Communication Research Feeling Corporate, Going Global: Two Trends in Qualitative Communication Research Looking Closer: The Conduct of Qualitative Research in Communication Conclusion 2. Theoretical Traditions and Qualitative Communication Research Qualitative Research and Communication Theory The Phenomenological Tradition The Sociocultural Tradition The Critical Tradition Conclusion 3. Design I: Planning Research Projects Introduction “My City, My Society, and My Life”: Renee’s Story Sources of Research Ideas Moving Toward a Commitment Evaluating the Scene Conclusion 4. Design II: Implementing Research Projects Introduction Negotiating Access Exploratory Methods Sampling Human Subject Protections The Research Proposal Conclusion Exercises 5. Producing Data I: Participating, Observing, and Recording Social Action Introduction: Fieldwork, Ethnography, and Participant Observation Successful Participant Observation Adapting Roles Tactical Observing Writing Fieldnotes New Media and Participant Observation Conclusion Exercises 6. Producing Data II: Qualitative Interviewing Introduction Purposes of the Qualitative Interview Types of Interviews in Communication Research The Practices of Interviewing Question Design and Use Transcribing Interviews Conclusion Exercises 7. Producing Data III: Analyzing Material Culture and Documents Introduction Material Culture Documents Conclusion Exercises 8. Sensemaking: Qualitative Data Analysis and Interpretation Introduction Qualitative Data Analysis Tools for Analysis Interpretation Evaluating Interpretations Conclusion Exercises 9. Writing, Authoring, and Publishing Introduction: Going Public The Crisis of Representation After the Fall: Reading and Writing Qualitative Research Institutional Contexts of Qualitative Writing The Craft of Qualitative Writing: Three Types of Format and Their Related Strategies Some Final Thoughts on Writing Exercises Epilogue References Author Index Subject Index About the Authors

About the Author :
Thomas R. Lindlof is a Professor in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky. He received his B.A. from the University of Florida, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining the University of Kentucky faculty, he served on the faculty at the Pennsylvania State University. His research and graduate teaching are focused on the cultural analysis of mediated communication, media audience theory and research, social uses of communication technology, and interpretive research methods. His research has appeared in numerous scholarly outlets, including Communication Research, the Journal of Communication, the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journalism Quarterly, Journalism Studies, the Journal of Media and Religion, the Social Science Computer Review, and Communication Yearbook. He has served as the editor of the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, and currently serves on the editorial boards of four journals. He has written or edited five books. His latest book, Hollywood under Siege: Martin Scorsese, the Religious Right, and the Culture Wars, was published by the University Press of Kentucky in 2008. Bryan C. Taylor, Associate Professor, specializes in interpretive research methods, organizational communication, and cultural studies. His principal research program involves studies of nuclear and (post-) Cold War communication. This research explores ideological articulations of gender, ethnicity, technology, and (ir)rationality in organizational and cultural discourse. He is also interested in cultural studies of identity, technology, gender, organization, and media. His research has been published in Journal of Applied Communication Research, Communication Research, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Quarterly Journal of Speech, Rhetoric and Public Affairs, Studies in Cultures, Organizations, and Societies, and elsewhere. Current projects include a book about the impact of the Cold War on the speech communication discipline. He received his B.A. (1983) from the University of Massachusetts, his M.A.(1987) and Ph.D. (1991) from the University of Utah. Prior to joining the CU-Boulder faculty in 1995 he served on the faculty at Texas A&M University. He was the 1998 recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division of NCA.

Review :
“There are not many textbooks available (if any) that can match [this book’s] intelligence.” “The use of examples from media and communication exhibit a very wide reading of the discipline. The writers do a great job keeping up with current technologies that assist in qualitative inquiry!”