Doing Naturalistic Inquiry: A Guide to Methods

by David A. Erlandson, Edward L. Harris, Barbara L. Skipper

Based on the theoretical work of Lincoln and Guba, this practical text is designed to help new researchers apply the constructivist paradigm. The authors show how these ideas shape the practice of conducting alternative paradigm research. Covering the research process from design, through data-collection analysis and presentation, as well as important issues generally minimized in positivist research texts - ethics, trustworthiness and authenticity - cases from a wide variety of disciplines demonstrate the efficacy of the methods described.

Genres: Nonfiction

198 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

Reviews

[John Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is best read as a companion to Yvonna Lincoln and Egon Guba's Naturalistic Inquiry. Whereas Lincoln & Guba go deep into the theory behind Naturalistic (qualitative) inquiry and its importance as a challenge to the positivist paradigm that has dominated science and academia for so long, Erlandson et al., provide a more practical volume on how to conduct naturalist inquiry.

I found myself reaching for the Erlandson book much more often than Lincoln & Guba throughout my qualitative research course. While I enjoyed the theoretical portions of Lincoln & Guba, this was a much more practical book and is one that I will suspect I will continue to reach for as I continue research and writing within the qualitative framework.

This is a must read for any scholars who are entering into the world of qualitative research.