Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation

The book lays out the fundamentals of qualitative research in an easy to grasp manner, highlights areas of controversy and offers reasonable suggestions. I have taken a number of courses on qualitative research but ended with so many grey areas. This wonderful book clarifies all the ambiguities of qualitative research with its commonsense approach to explaining the topic. It is highly recommended for anyyone interested in qualitative research.

I am a graduate student and my dissertation will be qualitative, so I have read quite a few qualitative research books, but this one (which was suggested to me by one of my committee members) is my favorite. I think it is an excellent review of qualitative theory and history, and the text is really easy to read. I really like that the authors explain the current discussions/disagreements between scholars, and then explain how they chose to approach the issue and why. In this way it is a really great intro text because once you get a sense as to what is going on, you can then find the specific papers cited and review it all on your own. One note: I also own the 3rd edition of this book, which is, I believe, solely authored by Merriam, and it is similar, but not the same. I don't really remember the particular differences, but I would suggest getting this 4th edition. I believe it explains things even more clearly than the 3rd edition.

I’m a beginning learner of qualitative research methods and this book is very detailed, simple to understand and easy to follow and comprehend. I definitely recommend it for everyone interested in qualitative research, especially beginners.

I have two Creswell books on research methods. They're terrific. This book also holds water. It is (to me) easier to read than Creswell in that it reads less like a textbook. While not as well known, Merriam and Tisdell complete a thorough explanation of qualitative methods, provide real-life examples, and the style of writing is more...accessible. If you already have a firm grasp of qualitative methods, this book would not add anything to your toolbox. If you are just starting out, this book is a terrific purchase.

My school charge 180.00 for online book. Cannot marked it or make changes as needed. It is a solid book as an introductory to qualitative studies and has been quoted by other authors in books and studies.

I am a Ph.d student in counseling psychology and found the book accessible and in depth. It covers a range of topics with examples to illustrate how each approach works.

As a doctoral research student pursuing a qualitative research methodology, neither the phenomenological nor narrative designs fit my research question. Instead, Merriam & Tisdale (2016) share that this happens frequently and there's a sixth qualitative design that covers this gap, the Basic Qualitative Research Design. If you are already familiar with the other five designs, this book is a great supporting reference to further explore, compare, and contrast those designs. Good luck!

My dissertation chair suggested this book as a reference when putting together my research design and all that comes along with that. I found it to be very helpful and a good overview of qualitative research and design. I'll use another text for more in depth understanding of specefics around my design, but this is a good starting place.