The Third Edition of Lyn Richards’ best-selling book is the perfect introduction to qualitative research for students and practitioners. Recognizing that for many new researchers dealing with data is the main point of departure, this book helps them to acquire an understanding of the skills and methodological issues that are central to qualitative research. Author Lyn Richards provides practical guidance on how to handle, reflect on and make sense of rich data, while at the same time showing how a consideration of methods and their philosophical underpinnings informs how we should best handle our data. Detailed sections cover: the processes of making, meeting, sorting, coding, documenting, and exploring qualitative data; how to see a study as a whole and write it, and making and justifying claims. Each chapter smoothly integrates software use with discussion of the main challenges that software users are likely to encounter. Novice researchers who use this book will be able to achieve valid and useful outcomes from qualitative analysis, and ensure they do justice to their data.

Starting with what’s special about qualitative data, this book covers more than simply data collection. It guides you through skilfully, thoughtfully, and ethically designing a project, managing data, exploring records, creating and justifying sound theories, and reporting results in ways that will be heard. With a positive and jargon-free style, it discusses how setting up, working with, making sense of and presenting data can be a springboard into learning key research skills and reflecting on methodological issues. With even more material to help researchers navigate the practicalities of working with qualitative data, this edition includes: ‘To do’ lists and annotated further reading suggestions to help establish ethical practice Guidance on tackling emerging challenges in handling qualitative data, such as uses of visualisation and online data Advice for communicating data to different audiences and writing a convincing research report Online resources that illustrate effective qualitative research in action and aid researchers in their own work, including first-hand researcher accounts, qualitative analysis software support, step-by-step guidance on software use and visualising data, and examples of communicating real-world research effectively.