Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry

by Maria J. Mayan

The second edition of Maria J. Mayan’s Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry is written for newcomers interested in applied research, regardless of discipline. It provides what the reader needs to begin to explore, appreciate, and deeply understand our social world. The new edition maintains the straightforward, conversational style and passionate support for qualitative work of the first edition while addressing numerous changes in the field.

Mayan avoids paint-by-number formulas while helping novices learn many of the approaches, methodologies, and techniques used by experienced researchers. She helps readers confront the ambiguities and ethical issues in doing a field project and addresses some of the main debates in the field. After nearly three decades of teaching this subject herself, Mayan can anticipate and address the most common questions students will raise.

Features of the new edition include:

More emphasis on theoretical orientations
Added sections on arts-based research, mixed methods, systematic reviews, and participatory research
A unique approach to conducting qualitative analysis
Advice on self-care for the researcher
Summary tables, appendices with useful tools and templates, and practical exercises at the end of each chapter make this the perfect vehicle to introduce students to the complex world of qualitative inquiry

328 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2023

About the author

Maria is a community-based researcher and a qualitative methodologist. Her community-based research interests are in the area of partnerships and knowledge translation and how citizens, community-organizations, clinicians, governments and universities can work together to address disparities and improve health outcomes.
Maria frames all of her research from this community-based research orientation and in particular, enjoys putting her efforts into poverty reduction. As Assistant Director of Women and Children's Health portfolio she provides the lead on community-based research, qualitative research core resources for the Women and Children's Health Research Institute.

Maria's love of qualitative methods started at the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology where she spent over 10 years studying, teaching and using qualitative methods. She has been invited to teach qualitative inquiry by government, not-for-profits, the private sector, and the academic community worldwide.

Her qualitative expertise has culminated into two books: Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry, available through Routledge (formerly LeftCoast Press) and Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry (Second Edition), also available through Routledge.

One of Maria's most valued activities is joining with colleagues and graduate students to use both conventional and unconventional qualitative methods to explore intriguing and pressing health research issues.

Reviews

[Changyuan Tang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry is a book I would wholeheartedly recommend to social science graduate students, or anyone interested in qualitative research. Unlike many dense and often intimidating methodological textbooks, this book maintains a warm, direct tone throughout. The author reminds readers that it’s perfectly normal to feel a bit lost when starting out with qualitative research, because the process can be complicated and not always clear-cut. Many chapters feel like conversations with a thoughtful peer who shares practical field-tested insights and common pitfalls, allowing me to more precisely grasp the key moves of academic practice.

Two aspects attract me. First: the emphasis on flexibility. This book doesn’t just hand over a ready-made template; instead, it constantly encourages us to reflect: Why this theoretical framework? How does the method align with our research goals? Sometimes, we choose research methods just because they’re popular or it feels easier to follow what everyone else is doing. But the author really encourages me, as a PhD student, to pause and think about what fits my own project, instead of just copying what’s common. The second highlight is Chapter 4 on arts-based research. In academia, semi-structured interviews are often the default, but here author asks, “Why are we limiting ourselves like this?” She systematically traces the development of arts-based research, then gives rich examples of how visual arts, poetry, performance and other creative approaches can be integrated into data generation and analysis. This really opened my eyes to how qualitative work is supposed to be diverse and even artistic. For each approach, there are straightforward introductions and real-world published exemplars. Since the book is written for a wide audience, if you find yourself intrigued by any particular method, you can always dive deeper through the referenced materials.

Of course, as an introductory text, some of the case examples do stay on the simple side. For more complex research designs (like dyadic interviews) or software-related practicalities, you’ll want to supplement your reading. But the greatest value of this book is in the confidence and structural overview it gives to newcomers that it helps you see how vast and creative qualitative research can be. And if you’re especially interested in certain methods, the references make further exploration easy.

Overall, this book is like a cup of tea for your research journey—warming, clarifying, and gently organizing your thoughts. Whether you’re just starting to shape your topic or feeling hesitant about methods, you’ll almost certainly find an approachable starting point and the motivation to keep exploring here!

[Luca Ghirotto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria J. Mayan’s Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry is a valuable and comprehensive guide for both novice and experienced qualitative researchers. What I particularly appreciate about this book is its clarity and accessibility, without sacrificing theoretical depth. It covers foundational concepts, methodologies, data collection and analysis techniques, ethics, and rigor in a concise yet rich manner.
What sets this volume apart is its inclusion of often-overlooked topics such as arts-based research, participatory approaches, and the role of theory in analysis. These elements are rarely addressed with such clarity in introductory manuals. Each chapter also includes practical exercises, which are especially helpful for teaching and for applying concepts in real research settings.
I have found it particularly useful in my own qualitative work, especially for navigating complex methodological decisions and refining research design. I would highly recommend it to students, early-career researchers, and health professionals engaging with qualitative methods for the first time.

[Lesley H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Maria Mayan is a qualitative genius and her way of writing is so accessible, transparent, and honest. My favourite aspect of this book is how practical it is, meanwhile acknowledging broader historical trends and traditions. Every other doctoral student I know who has read this thinks it’s “the best” out there. I personally have a digital copy and refer to it often, not reading as a whole but conducting search and finds for moments I need clarity. This book never fails to deliver. I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in qualitative research (students and faculty alike), and also for anyone who wants to read a non-fiction book with an honest and relatable writing style.

[Shannon Pynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often call this book (and the first edition too) my qualitative research “bible”. This text is a valuable resource for myself and the students I work with, offering both clarity and depth in explaining qualitative methodologies. It has helped them move from feeling uncertain about qualitative research to being genuinely excited to apply it. Its balance of theory and practical guidance makes it one of the most helpful texts for developing early researchers’ skills.

[Mills College Library]

305.80072 M4677 2009

[Kira Dlusskaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear and easy to read basic intro to qualitative research methods - just what I needed. Hope that subsequent editions catch the typos...

[Chenxi Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

For readers like me, with limited experience in qualitative research and half understand of certain methods yet want to use them in my own studies, this book is without doubt a good place to start. The chapters not only offer a thorough introduction to the foundations of qualitative inquiry, commonly used methods, and widely discussed issues, but also provide exercises at the end of each chapter, allowing readers to think through how to apply these theories and methodologies to practical cases. Through its systematic introduction, I now more clearly understand the relationships among ontology, epistemology, and specific methodologies. Another feature I particularly appreciate is that for every theoretical approach and method, the author includes examples from existing studies. So, if I am interested in a particular approach, I can then follow up by reading the recommended studies and learning from them in depth.
The three chapters on methodologies (Chapter 3: Methodology, Chapter 4: Arts-based research, and Chapter 5: Other approaches) inspired me the most. They exposed me to methods I had not encountered before, expanded my sense of what qualitative research can do, and helped me choose a design that better fits my study. For example, the introduction to discourse analysis did not just add another method to my toolkit, but also changed how I see language in research. It made me attentive to how texts and media actively shape identities and power relations. This helped me rethink my own research, as I began to notice how labels and framing influence what people do in my field. It also inspired me in a practical way, leading me to examine policy documents and interview transcripts through a discursive lens.
In sum, this book is a clear, highly informative, and practical guide to qualitative inquiry. It strengthened my understanding of relevant concepts, showed me concrete steps I can follow, and directed me to good studies for further learning. For a first qualitative project, it is a dependable guide to start with and to return to.

[Maxi Miciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This text is the first one I go to when I have ANY question about qualitative inquiry. It doesn’t matter if I have a question about paradigms, theory, specific methods, design, rigour - this is where I start (and I often don’t have to go further, unless I need to do a deeper dive into a theoretical or methodological topic). Dr. Mayan is a master communicator. She takes complex and sometimes daunting topics and explains them in a way that leaves you feeling like you just chatted about qualitative methods over a coffee! I appreciate that I don’t have to spend time trying to decipher what she is saying. I have the first edition of Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry, which was my go-to text for any topic related to qualitative research because it is so accessible. The second edition is even better. The additions are excellent. I particularly like how she has expanded the sections on paradigms and theory - there is a GREAT table that covers metatheories that is worth the cost of the text! She has also added an entire chapter on arts-based research. The text is surprisingly concise even though she covers pretty much everything. And it’s a great Christmas gift for all of those quantitative researchers in your life! You will save loads of time explaining topics like ‘saturation’ and ‘rigour’. It doesn’t matter if you are experienced or new to qualitative research, you will use this text.

[Ashil · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest strengths of this incredible work is how accessible it is for beginners while still being foundational for advanced qualitative researchers. As a first-year PhD scholar, I am truly grateful to have come across this book, as it has significantly deepened my understanding of research methodology. What makes it especially engaging is that every example is drawn from Dr. Mayan’s own research experiences, helping readers connect theory with practice in a meaningful way. The recent edition is particularly impressive because it incorporates newer approaches to qualitative inquiry, including meta-analysis, systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and mixed-methods design, without undermining quantitative approaches. From basic concepts to methods, ethics, and guidance on what to write, the book provides a clear and comprehensive understanding throughout. Thank you, Dr. Mayan, for this insightful and grounded contribution.

[Lesley Pritchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry is an indispensable resource for anyone looking for a rigorous and comprehensive introduction to qualitative methodology. Mayan’s writing is accessible to novice researchers without sacrificing theoretical depth and nuanced examples required by more experienced researchers. The text reflects the author's extensive pedagogical expertise, translating years of classroom experience into a skillfully structured and highly practical guide.