Read – Chapters, Journal Articles, and Research Blogs: Find top research articles to cite and enrich your reading with your ready-made bibliography of qualitative research from SAGE books, journals, and other credible sources. Use the discussion questions online to practice thinking critically about research.

13.1 The dynamics of interviewing

Catherine Cassell, a management researcher, shows that the interview involves considerable ‘identity work’.

Cassell, C. (2005). Creating the interviewer: identity work in the management research process. Qualitative Research, 5(2), 167–179.

Q. How does this ‘identity work’ contribute to more effective and culturally responsive research?

13.2 The impact of transcription

Qualitative research usually involves careful recording and transcription. This paper discusses the practical and theoretical choices you make when you transcribe your data.

Lapadat, J. C., & Lindsay, A. C. (1999). Transcription in Research and Practice: From Standardization of Technique to Interpretive Positionings. Qualitative Inquiry, 5(1), 64–86.

Q. How do the choices you make around transcription impact how you interpret your data?

13.3 Writing fieldnotes

In this paper, Sarah Condell looks at how she made fieldnotes in a study of nursing:

Condell, S. L. (2008). Writing fieldnotes in an ethnographic study of peers – collaborative experiences from the field. Journal of Research in Nursing, 13(4), 325–335.

Q. Would you approach fieldnotes differently if you were working in a different field? If so, how?

13.4 Blog research

Since 1999, blogs have become a significant part of online culture. In this paper, Nicholas Hookway considers how you can treat the ‘blogosphere’ as data.

Hookway, N. (2008). `Entering the blogosphere’: some strategies for using blogs in social research. Qualitative Research, 8(1), 91–113.

Q. What ethical issues should you consider if you use blog data in your research?