Qualitative Research Methods, 2d ed.(Book review)

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS (2ND EDN) Pranee Liamputtong and Doug Ezzy South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2005: 410 + xiv pp PB AUD59.95/USD44.70/ GBP25.75 ISBN 0-19-551744-X

Textbook writers can find themselves in an invidious position; in attempting to offer a kind of introduction to everything, they can end by satisfying no-one. Happily, Liamputtong's and Ezzy's efforts avoid this potential impasse. The book is written primarily with novice researchers in mind and has found the right pitch for this audience. Qualitative Research Methods gives would-be practitioners enough practical instruction to allow them to undertake, analyse and report research. Yet it also provides a sufficient introduction to the epistemological and theoretical bases of qualitative research so readers will know what is distinctive and valuable about this research orientation; they will understand why they are doing what they are doing. Not only do Liamputtong and Ezzy provide a useable foundation for the how and why of research, they consistently pay attention to its ethical and political dimensions. One of the book's most admirable features is the constant elucidation of the ways in which researchers owe an ethical 'duty of care' to the people they research. This ethical commitment is, however, complemented by the authors' emphasis on the richness and enjoyment of doing research.

The book begins with an overview of the main theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research. The discussion is lucid and accompanied by examples illustrating the application and value of qualitative research on health. The only exception is postmodernism. The discussion is not always clear and concludes with an example not drawn from health. This could be taken to suggest this notoriously difficult domain has little to offer the field, a conclusion the authors would not support. Liamputtong and Ezzy largely eschew the issues of reliability and validity, arguing they do not adequately reflect the close relationship between the researcher and his or her 'field'. 'Rigour', they suggest, is a more appropriate criterion because it doesn't assume separation between researcher and researched, while it simultaneously upholds adherence to correct procedures, sound methodology and well-thought out sampling strategies. The practical advice on techniques for conducting rigorous research and on deciding on appropriate sampling strategies is clear and helpful. However, the authors do not subscribe to the 'technicist' premise that appropriate techniques will lead, ipso facto, to rigorous research. Rigorous research must also pay due attention, they say, to the ethical and political frameworks of the lives of people being studied, the audience to which the research report will be directed and the researchers themselves.

The book has chapters on the staples of qualitative research: in-depth interviews, focus groups, unobtrusive methods, ethnography and participatory action research. It also canvasses some less widely used methods, notably memory work, as well as narrative analysis and life history. In each of the chapters, there is thorough discussion of the practicalities of conducting each of these forms of research. For instance, the chapter on in-depth interviews contains good advice on selecting an appropriate interviewer, how to ask questions and how ...