Publications

Whether they capture the still or moving image, visual methods are the oldest new methods in qualitative research. Anthropologists from Malinowski (1929) onwards have included photographs in field reports, and in later decades made films about different cultures (Ball and Smith 1992). Sociologists trained in symbolic interactionism such as Howard Becker (1974) and Doug Harper…

Computer software is increasingly used to assist in the analysis of ‘qualitative’, particularly ethnographic, data. It is widely agreed to help in organising and controlling data. It is claimed by some to increase the researcher’s closeness to the data (Lewins and Silver, 2005), though others say the opposite (MacMillan, 2005). This paper gives an outsider’s,…

In this short paper we take issue with some recent developments in the design and application of qualitative research which, to our mind, are indicative of a reductionist tendency. As discussed previously (Atkinson, Delamont, and Housley, 2009 Housley and Smith, Forthcoming), ‘qualitative methods’ are increasingly deployed across disciplinary boundaries and are to be found in…

This document provides an overview of some of the resources available for research within the Social Sciences. At the outset, it is acknowledged that there are difficulties in compiling a catalogue that is going to be ‘all things to all people’. It is not possible to include all available resources for research, or to cover…

My concern in this commentary is the discrepancy between cultural psychologists’ theoretical claims that meanings are co-constructed by, with and for individuals in ongoing social interaction, and their research practices where researcher’s and research participant’s meaning-making processes are separated in time into sequential turns. I argue for the need to live up to these theoretical…

This paper was presented at the NCRM Oxford Methods Festival (2010) and considers some analytical problems observed within recent innovations in qualitative research; specifically, the use of GPS technology and the various ways in which such spatial data may be represented. The paper is intended as a reminder of the critique of the social sciences…

The following review symposium, on Martyn Hammersley’s (2008) book may seem rather late. We decided in the Spring of 2010 that Qualitative Research had made a mistake in 2008, when we decided not to commission a review of the volume. In retrospect we realize now that should have devoted space to the book when it…

During the course of this paper we mobilise an ideal typical framework that identifies three waves of reduction within contemporary qualitative inquiry as they relate to key aspects of the sociological tradition. The paper begins with a consideration of one of sociology’s key questions; namely how is social organisation possible? The paper aims to demonstrate…

This evaluation of the 2006-2011 ESRC Census Programme sets outs to provide an overall assessment of the quality, usage and impact of services and research funded by the Programme. This evaluation assesses the overall strengths and weaknesses of the Programme and provides recommendations on continued funding for the Programme beyond 2011, taking into account other…

Effective information communication and public participation in the planning process are important elements for facilitating successful environmental decision-making. Previous research has demonstrated the importance of these factors for delivering benefits to a wide range of stakeholders in the planning system by increasing the transparency and efficiency of the planning process. Planning information relating to the…