Beginning researchers get an overview of qualitative research through a concise look at the practice of conducting research and the theory and debates that keep qualitative inquiry vibrant. Ideal for introducing the novice researcher to the theory and practice of qualitative research, this text opens students to the diverse possibilities within…

Background/Context: For over two decades, the boundaries between the social sciences and the humanities have become blurred, and numerous articles and books have been written about the infusion of the arts in qualitative research as a means to collect and analyze data and to represent findings. Yet these arts-based research processes, although…

This paper describes data gathering and analytic procedures, and then presents examples regarding how each fits into the naturalistic research model. From the interactionist perspective, called symbolic interactionism, meaning is of central importance. Naturalistic inquiry is a way of doing social science research which provides the methodological…

This article describes a system based on the Epson HX-20 used for real time (rather than time-sample) recording of behavior observation data, which allows the researcher additional options in analysis. Examples of the programs developed, types of research questions asked, and data analyses conducted are provided. (Author/PB)

Ethnographic research (1) observes human behavior in its natural setting over a substantial period of time, (2) claims that classes of events are better understood through intensive examination of carefully selected particular cases, (3) incorporates as many of the complexities and variables into a setting as possible, and (4) is usually comprised…

A handheld computer observation system was developed using Hewlett-Packard HP71B computers for recording and IBM-PCs for storing and analyzing data. Algorithims used in observing interactions between handicapped children and peers or teachers are described. Also described are behavior definitions, observer training and observation procedures, the…

Described are features and functions of the Behavioral Observation System--Computerized (BOSCO), which was developed for TRS-80 laptop computers to integrate data collection and analysis functions and allow continuous recording of behavioral data during observation sessions. Applications are illustrated through brief descriptions of several…

Using portable microcomputers, three applications programs were developed and implemented to collect, store, transmit, and analyze teacher/student observational data. The three applications involved: analyzing teaching behaviors of trainees in field-site placements, using microcomputers to educate mildly handicapped high-school students, and using…

Describes use of case study method to systematically develop model of online searching behavior in which study design is flexible, data gathering and analyses are determined by subject matter, and specific procedures are decided upon while study progresses. Problems and measures taken to reduce their effect are discussed. (Eleven references are…

This report is a pilot effort to understand how knowledge imformation is effectively imparted in a classroom. The work is built on a study of the cognitions of effective teaching. Expert teachers were identified by monitoring the gain scores of students in classrooms over a 5-year period. All teachers were interviewed, observed, and videotaped…

The linking of research and action, basic methods of social research, and the uses of research in distance teaching are examined, with examples drawn from the Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre and other distance teaching programs. Ways in which research can be useful and early stages of research design and planning are discussed. An explanation of…

This book is the third volume of the paperback versions of "The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, Third Edition." This portion of the handbook considers the tasks of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting empirical materials, and comprises the Handbook's Parts IV ("Methods of Collecting and Analyzing Empirical Materials") and V ("The Art and…

Designed for teachers and researchers interested in the study of the composing process, this guide introduces a method of analysis that can be applied to data from a range of different cases. Specifically, the guide offers a simple, direct coding scheme for describing the movements occurring during composing that involves four procedures: teaching…

A research plan for investigating the effects of student portfolios on teaching and learning at three different school sites is described. The plan accommodates two categories of research questions: (1) broad, cross-site questions; and (2) site-specific questions generated by participants at each individual site. Data collection strategies…

The peer evaluation model of university teaching is composed of three domains of behavioral and cognitive skills which, in combination, represent the elements expected of professionally competent teachers. These domains are: (1) the conception of the professional role for which students are being prepared; (2) instructional design; and (3) the…