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.

Table of Contents:
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