Discovering Qualitative Methods: Field Research, Interviews, and Analysis

Carol A.B. Warren and Tracy X. Karner
Los Angeles, California: Roxbury Publishing Company, 2005

This text delivers what its title proposes—a discovery of qualitative methods. It is written in an inviting style and has the potential to persuade an objectionable newcomer to qualitative methods about their usefulness for understanding world issues from a sociological perspective. The book positions itself in the increasing market of qualitative texts as an ideal supplementary text in an undergraduate research methods course, or as a stand-alone text in a qualitative focussed methods course. The text could also serve as an excellent reference for the more seasoned social scientist.

Historically the distinction between qualitative and quantitative research methods has oftentimes been vague. The authors, Warren and Karner, tackle this problem head-on—opening their text with a discussion of the history and logic of qualitative methodology and its progression through the 20th century. Likewise, they frequently revisit the historic foundations of the research topics they address throughout the text. To illustrate, in Chapter 5 the authors place their discussion of field notes within the Chicago school, anthropological research and case studies. The message that “knowledge builds upon knowledge” is an underlying theme of the book, which in effect is the research endeavour.

This text is structured as a step-by-step journey through the research process. This ranges from the discussion of ethical, political and legal issues in Section I, to how to do qualitative research (i.e., field research, interviews, textual and visual) in Section II, to writing up a research report in Section III. Throughout the text the authors pay attention to both the major and minor aspects of the research process. However, one area the text falls short in doing this is the welfare of the researcher. For example, only passing attention is given in Chapters 3 and 4 to the emotional toll of a topic on a researcher, in Chapter 4 to the changing roles of a researcher, and in Chapter 7 to debriefing after an interview. The text would benefit from more discussion specific to researcher well being in these and other areas. This is particularly important given the authors’ attention to individuals choosing research topics that are of importance to them. Karner reflects on her own experience of this, relaying that she began researching “violent veterans [as] an attempt to understand the male violence she had witnessed in her own life” (90)

A second area in which the text could benefit from increased attention is knowledge translation—the exchange, synthesis and ethically sound application of knowledge generated through research. Specifically, this would have been a welcome addition in Section III, which focuses on the write up of the research report. Attention to next steps through knowledge translation goes beyond the confines of what the authors discuss as applied research.

One thing I have learned in teaching methods at the undergraduate level over the past decade is that this often required course is low on the list of student priorities. Warren and Karner are in tune with this, as they use extensive examples to pique reader interest, explain technical terms, and relay the fortitude of qualitative research methods. The authors manage this in part by relying on their own extensive experiences and field notes. A by-product of this, which they may not have intended in their conceptualization of the text, is the authenticity that their experiences contribute.

In the Epilogue, Warren and Karner highlight the increasing legitimacy that qualitative methods have gained in the 20th century and their foreseeable expansion into the 21st century. This text, given its solid foundation and applicability to a broad audience, will assist in contributing to the increasing momentum behind and acceptance of qualitative methods.