"Stretching" Exercises for Qualitative Researchers

"This is a valuable work, which has been made even better in revision. In this Second Edition, Valerie Janesick extends the boundaries of qualitative inquiry, taking up IRBs, ethics, writing as inquiry, and new stretching exercises--drawing, quilting, cinema, listservs, and journaling. This book is a gift to instructors and students alike. Use it, teach from it, and stretch your imagination in the process."

--Norman K. Denzin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

In this updated version of her innovative and distinctive book, author Valerie J. Janesick has extended the metaphor of dance and arts to yoga as an art form to strengthen her argument that tapping into one's artistic side--the side that is more creative and less inhibited--is a fundamental prerequisite for realizing one's potential as a researcher. Janesick provides a series of exercises, which can be used inside and outside the classroom, that are both artistically inspired and immensely practical. Thoroughly classroom tested, these exercises demystify the research process and help the researcher become a more active observer, interviewer, and learner.

New to this Edition:

New chapter on the analysis and interpretation of qualitative data, which will help the reader develop categories for coding, interpreting journals and interview transcripts, and interpret and explain documents and photographs--all of which will include annotated examples
New chapter on narrative techniques, which will include coverage of autobiography, biography, and life history as viable approaches to understanding the social world
New section on dealing with Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), in particular, the issues, questions, and problems faced by qualitative researchers
New exercises on the role of the researcher--specifically drawing and quilting, and describing and explaining movies as narrative text
Expanded information on interviews in general--especially the need to pilot the interviews, and the research reflective journal process
An entire section on Internet sources, such as list servs, discussion lists, e-journals and software products
Mastering library techniques and services

In addition, there will be updated appendices and many new examples (current student work included) from the sociology, nursing, and management fields.