Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (Hardcover)

by Michael Quinn Patton (Editor) "This book discusses how to collect, analyze, and use qualitative data..." (more)
Key Phrases: evocative criteria, intended evaluation users, wilderness education program, Grand Canyon, United States, Outward Bound (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Paton has a distinguished career as an evaluation researcher and his experience in applying the tools of qualitative research to address the questions and concerns of those in the world of practice come through clearly… a gem of a discussion of sampling strategies in qualitative research that is useful not only to prospective researchers but also to more seasoned ones. It is the most complete and carefully reasoned consideration of sampling in qualitative research that I have encountered"

-- Review

Review

"Paton has a distinguished career as an evaluation researcher and his experience in applying the tools of qualitative research to address the questions and concerns of those in the world of practice come through clearly… a gem of a discussion of sampling strategies in qualitative research that is useful not only to prospective researchers but also to more seasoned ones. It is the most complete and carefully reasoned consideration of sampling in qualitative research that I have encountered"

(Organizational Research Methods )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 688 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 3rd edition (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761919716
• ISBN-13: 978-0761919711
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,165 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #3 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Methodology
  #5 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Research
  #6 in	Books > Science > Experiments, Instruments & Measurement > Methodology & Statistics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Why To Avoid This Book, October 25, 2002

By	Richard R. Carlton (Ada, MI United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

No, I'm not a disgruntled grad student who had to take a qualitative eval course with this book as the bible. I'm a very happy grad student who enthusiastically pursues qualitative methods (and in fact teaches them to his undergrad students), but who learned at great expense to avoid this book at all costs.

A large number of professors teaching research have latched onto Patton as the qualitative guru for valid reasons. He has done seminal work in the field, championed the process for decades, and is deservedly well respected for these efforts. The problem is using his book as a classroom textbook.

This book is OK as a reference source, but the man is not a textbook author. The book is extremely difficult to comprehend, has not been revised significantly since the first edition in 1980, wanders off on tangents seldom related to the content (try the start of Chapter 5 if you need an example), fails to provide groundedness with adequate theoretical applications, and so on. ....I do use this book and quote from it when appropriate, but cannot recommend it as a textbook.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good starting point for novice interviewers, April 30, 2003

By A Customer

As a senior in college who is conducting interviews with high school and college students, I would recommend this book. It provides an excellent jumping off point for both novice student interviewers as well as seasoned teachers. Patton, himself an experienced interviewer, and also an award-winning teacher and storyteller, outlines all the necessary steps involved in the interview process in a very entertaining way. The book reads much like a textbook, complete with original cartoons, historical examples, and vast personal experience. Moreover, inspirational and often amusing quotes kickoff each section. Appearing throughout the book is the fictional sage-like character Halcolm, a philosophical alter ego of Patton, who, "like his name (pronounced slowly)," forces the reader to ask "how come?" (p. A2).
Patton has divided Qualitative Research and Evaluation into three main parts: Conceptual Issues in Qualitative Inquiry, Qualitative Designs and Data Collection, and finally Analysis, Interpretation, and Reporting. Under each section are many subsections, all clearly laid out in a very detailed table of contents. For example, Conceptual Issues is divided into four subcategories: The Nature of Qualitative Inquiry, Strategic Themes in Qualitative Inquiry, Variety in Qualitative Inquiry: Theoretical Orientations, and finally Particularly Appropriate Qualitative Applications. Furthermore, these four subcategories are then broken down in additional detail in the table of contents. The titles of these sections (and chapters) are somewhat typical for the text as a whole in that they rely on sociological terminology that may be unfamiliar to beginners. At first glance, the table of contents appears to be little more than a patchwork of intellectual vocabulary, but the book reads in much simpler terms.
The index to the book is also very useful for finding numerous narrowed down focuses. I found this the most helpful. For example, when I wanted to find out about transcribing interviews, I was able to find all of the relevant chapters and information at once.
Unfortunately, however, Patton's broad scope is also his main weakness. It is very easy to become bogged down by the mass amount of details and by his many examples. Also, for scholars primarily interested in the interview process, only the final section is useful, especially in the field of analysis.
Patton attempts to cover all of the basics of interviewing, and provides an excellent outline, but nothing can compare to actual experience. Nevertheless, it is highly recommended that first-time interviewers consult Patton's book for an introductory guide, and even veteran interviewers can learn something from Patton's vast experience.
Researchers will also find Patton's 36 pages of single-spaced references very helpful, and graduate students will find it invaluable for dissertations.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding on interviews, October 27, 2000

By	Geoffrey A. Cross (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods (Hardcover)

This book is outstanding in its presentation of the ins and outs of interviewing. It provides many caveats and tips about how to formulate questions that do not lead but do stimulate rich answers.