Unlocking the Secrets of Qualitative Research: A Comprehensive Guide to Design and Implementation by Sharan B. Merriam

Hafeez Maiyegun: 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.

United States on Apr 21, 2023

Ryan W.: 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.

United States on Sep 25, 2022

Cochlear: 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.

United States on Aug 31, 2022

Cindy D: Love the examples provided and recommended sources shared for additional reading. Also appreciate that it's written without a lot of fancy jargon - so it is very practical and a quick reference guide. This has been a very helpful guide for me as I was thinking through my own research. :) Highly recommended!

Canada on Apr 28, 2022

Michael: 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.

United States on Feb 13, 2022

Marina Cerqueira Marinho: Excellent guide to introduce and design a qualitative approach. A easy language and very good from begginers to advanced. My teacher has reccomended for us in Master's class and the book is still best than my high expectations.

Brazil on Aug 17, 2020

gale_mcleod@education.ed.ac.uk: I bought this as a spare copy because I lend out my original copy so much :)

United Kingdom on Jul 23, 2019

L.A.: The book arrived quickly and appeared to be brand new.

Canada on Jan 13, 2019

gadgetymom: 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.

United States on Jan 18, 2017

Jocelyn L: As a novice researcher, I appreciate how well laid out the research process and requirements are in this book. I'ver read will over a dozen of these books and many have left me with more questions than answers. I have found answers to my many questions as I work through the process of developing my research proposal. I highly recommend this book to anyone starting out with the intention to conduct qualitative research.

Canada on Jan 15, 2017