SHARAN B. MERRIAM is professor emerita of adult education at the University of Georgia. She is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than fifteen books, including Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice and Qualitative Research in Practice, both from Jossey-Bass.

ELIZABETH J. TISDELL is professor of adult education and coordinator of the doctoral program in adult education at Penn State University Harrisburg.

Preface ix

The Authors xvii

PART ONE: THE DESIGN OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH 1

1 What Is Qualitative Research? 3

2 Six Common Qualitative Research Designs 22

3 Expanding the Qualitative Paradigm: Mixed Methods, Action, Critical, and Arts Based Research 43

4 Designing Your Study and Selecting a Sample 73

PART TWO: COLLECTING QUALITATIVE DATA 105

5 Conducting Effective Interviews 107

6 Being a Careful Observer 137

7 Mining Data from Documents and Artifacts 162

PART THREE: ANALYZING AND REPORTING QUALITATIVE DATA 191

8 Qualitative Data Analysis 195

9 Dealing with Validity, Reliability, and Ethics 237

10 Writing Up Qualitative Research 267

Appendix: The Methodology Section of a Qualitative Research Study 293
Sharan B. Merriam

References 301

Name Index 323

Subject Index 331

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