Review of Qualitative research design: An interactive approach.

Abstract

Reviews the book Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (2nd ed.) by J. A. Maxwell (Ed.) (2005). The book, like the original edition, consists of seven chapters packed with how-to advice and exercises the reader can apply to his or her own research ideas. The book is based on Maxwell's model for qualitative research (which he calls the interactive approach), covered in the first chapter. The model, which consists of five sets of concepts (goals, conceptual framework, research questions, methods, and validity), forms the structure for the text. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 highlight processes such as explicating the researchers' goals, examining the conceptual framework for the study, and arriving at research questions that will drive the research process. Chapter 5 addresses what the researcher actually will do--the methods to be used in the study. Chapter 6 covers an explanation of how the concepts of validity and generalization are approached in qualitative studies. The final chapter offers advice on writing a qualitative-research proposal, an example of which is found in the appendix. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)