Action and Research Open Web - AROW
http://www2.fhs.usyd.edu.au/arow/
A collection of learning resources for students on action research. They have been compiled by Dr. Ian Hughes, who teaches at The University of Sydney Faculty of Health Sciences. Although the learning modules relate to local courses at Sydney, the virtual library resources point to papers and Web links that will be useful to students everywhere. It includes Action Research e-Reports in full-text, and access to 17 Open Learning modules.
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Action Research
http://www.sagepub.co.uk/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal201642
Action Research is a quarterly refereed journal published by Sage. It acts as a "forum for the development of the theory and practice of action research" and includes "accounts of action research projects, explorations in the philosophy and methodology of action research, and considerations of the nature of quality in action research practice". Its coverage is interdisciplinary and will be of interest to researchers in the following areas: health care, education, development, management, social work, the Arts and gender and race. The journal website provides information about subscribing to the journal and submitting articles for inclusion in the journal as well as tables of contents for all journal issues.
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Action Research Electronic Reader
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arr/arow/default.html
Ian Hughes edits this collection of essays for courses and modules in Action Research in The University of Sydney Faculty of Health Sciences. The papers are of roughly two types, discussions of issues and research reports and they 'include original contributions and previously published papers brought together as learning resources for students'. There is some overlap with articles in the sibling journal Action Research e-Reports.
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Action Research International
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/ari/arihome.html
'Action research international is a refereed online journal of action research. It has a distinguished international editorial panel, and is sponsored by the Southern Cross Institute of Action Research (SCIAR) within the Graduate College of Management at Southern Cross University and by Southern Cross University Press. The journal consists of an electronic discussion list to which papers can be submitted for comment, and a further list which carries the papers on acceptance'. Subscription to the two lists is free; the website offers information about submissions, subscriptions, editorial policy and membership, and full-text articles, the first of which was published in 1998.
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Action Research Resources
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arhome.html
This is a website at Southern Cross University (Australia) pointing to a number of action research web resources, including: research mailing lists; an online course in action research; a full-text electronic journal called Action Research International; action research theses and dissertations (full-text and abstracts) and a collection of resource files on action research and related topics.
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American Journal of Evaluation
http://www.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal201729
This is the official journal of the American Evaluation Association. It is available in hard copy and electronically via those libraries that have subscriptions. The journal explores the complex and difficult challenges related to conducting evaluations. From choosing program theories to implementing an evaluation to presenting the final report to managing an evaluation's consequences, AJE contains peer-reviewed articles about the methods, theory, and practice of evaluation. The website gives information about electronic access, submissions and subscriptions and other editorial details, and tables of contents and abstracts are available for all issues.
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Analysing Qualitative Data by Computer
http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/SRU1.html
Issue 1 of the online publication series Social Research Update is a paper by Professor Nigel Fielding entitled Analysing Qualitative Data by Computer. Social Research Update is published quarterly by the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey and edited by Nigel Gilbert. The paper discusses Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS (CAQDAS) and introduces a range of computer software programs of various kinds including NUDIST and ATlas-ti. Finally it provides details of support networks and mailing lists in the field of CAQDAS. Subscriptions for the hardcopy version of SRU are free to researchers with addresses in the UK.
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Analysing Verbal Data: Principles, Methods and Problems
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/education/jlemke/papers/handbook.htm
A chapter about verbal data and discourse analysis written by Jay L. Lemke of the City University of New York for the book: K Tobin & B Fraser, (Eds). International Handbook of Science Education (Kluwer). Useful for students and researchers undertaking qualitative research that involves analysis of transcripts, speech and language. Includes a long list of references covering sources about discourse analysis methods.
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Archives of qualrs-l@listserv.uga.edu
http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/qualrs-l.html
The qualrs-l mailing list is a listserv facility hosted by the University of Georgia. The list is sub-titled Qualitative Research for the Human Sciences and is used to debate a wide range of issues relating to the methodology, practice and interpretation of qualitative research. Joining instructions, and a searchable archive of postings are provided on the list's home page. Note that you have to be registered and subscribed to this list to access the archives. Instructions on how to do this can be found on the website.
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armnet-L
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arr/armnet.html
armnet-L is an electronic mailing list for the discussion of action research and related methods as a research methodology. The armnet-L web page provides instructions on subscribing to the list.
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Association for Qualitative Research (AQR)
http://www.aqr.org.uk/
The Association for Qualitative Research (AQR) is run by qualitative researchers for qualitative researchers. It promotes the professional interests of qualitative research among practitioners and field personnel. It also aims to enhance the perceived value of qualitative research. To raise standards in qualitative research, it formulates and establishes best practice guides. AQR is represented both in the UK and overseas. It is made up of members who are professionals working in the field of qualitative market research as practitioners, buyers or field personnel. Despite this focus on professionals, the site has information that would also be of interest to those engaged in academic qualitative research including an overview of best practice methods for recruiting respondents for qualitative research projects, plus a range of articles and papers on qualitative research topics.
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Association for Qualitative Research (Australia)
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/aqr/
AQR is "an international organisation which aims to further the practice and study of qualitative research". It is based at La Trobe University in Australia and has been operating since 1997. The Association runs a regular series of conferences and the website details forthcoming and past conferences: papers from the first conference are also provided online. Details of any other seminars and workshops are also given. An online form is available for completion by those who wish to join the Association. Back issues of the Association's Qualitative Research journal are freely available in PDF format. The most recent copy of the journal is restricted to members only.
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Atlas.ti
http://www.atlasti.de/
ATLAS.ti is a computer software for the support of text interpretation, text management and theory building. The website contains information on the software, tips and tricks, a mailing list, a free-trial version of the software and details of how the software is being used in qualitative work and research. The website is available in English and German.
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BIOG-METHODS mailing list
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/biog-methods.html
The archives of the biographical methods JISCMAIL mailing list. Contains information about research, conferences, training opportunities and other information related to qualitative research methods.
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British Library Sound Archive: Oral History
http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/sound/ohist/oralhistory.html
Part of the British Library Sound Archive, the Oral History section 'collects audio and videotaped interviews as well as carrying out its own programme of life story recordings'. They also act as the main base for oral history in Britain, linking themselves to relevant worldwide oral history groups and also providing training and advice on methods. The website contains information about the use of oral history, a catalogue of the collection, a guide to using it and a selection of further oral history links and contacts. Also featured is information on the National Life Story Collection and the Millennium Memory Bank Project: a huge project to provide 'a unique and invaluable snapshot of how the British think of themselves and their past from the perspective of the beginning of a new millennium'. Sound samples of interviews can be heard throughout the site. Sound files are in Windows Media format and require the use of Windows Media Player software.
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CAQDAS Networking Project
http://caqdas.soc.surrey.ac.uk/
The Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software Project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to provide training and support in the practical skills needed to use qualitative data analysis software (e.g. field research, ethnography, text analysis). The project enables debate on the associated methodological and epistemological issues. It is currently running a project called Qualitative Innovations in CAQDAS which builds on the work of the original CAQDAS networking project. It provides demo versions of various qualitative analysis packages, information on short courses and workshops, a bibliography on computer software and qualitative data, and information about the qual-software mailing list. There is also a publication entitled "Using Software in Qualitative Research : A Step by Step Guide" which has come out of the project.
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CDC EZ-Text
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/software/ez-text.htm
"CDC EZ-Text is a software program developed to assist researchers create, manage and analyse semi-structured qualitative databases". The software allows users to design data-entry templates tailored to their questionnaire, enter responses and interactively create online codebooks which can be applied in a number of ways to analyse their data. Copies of the EZ-Text software and user documentation can be downloaded free of charge courtesy of the Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. There are sections with Q and As, features of the software, installation and upgrade guides, a comprehensive user guide and some published articles using the software.
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Center for Biographical Research
http://www.hawaii.edu/biograph/
Founded in 1976, the Center for Biographical Research is part of the University of Hawai`i at Manoa. It is "dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of life writing". The website contains details of the Center's journal: Biography, with tables of contents from 1995 and links to the full text via Project Muse from 2000 onwards (your institution will need to subscribe to Project Muse for you to be able to access the full text). Topic coverage is broad and there should be articles of interest to qualitative researchers across the social sciences and humanities disciplines. Also available are details about conferences, an email discussion list, details of the Center's other publications, relevant links and a selection of biographies of some of Hawai`i's most important citizens.
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Centre for Narrative Research
http://www.uel.ac.uk/cnr/index.htm
The Centre for Narrative Research is based at the University of East London. It brings together "work on narrative that is being pursued in a variety of contexts across the social sciences". It supports research on spoken, written and visual narratives, drawing on psychological, sociological, anthropological and cultural research traditions. The website includes a link to the Centre's narrative research e-list, the full-text of the Centre's newsletters, information about short courses and seminar programmes and links to abstracts and full-text of papers produced by members and associates of the Centre.
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Centre for Qualitative Research
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/cqr/index.html
"The Centre for Qualitative Research is based at Bournemouth University's Institute of Health and Community Studies. The Institute's research strategy is built on a commitment to real world research that is transferable across a variety of contexts. It has considerable expertise in research approaches and programmes that aim to improve the everyday lives of health and social care users". The website includes abstracts and reviews of the Centre's publications, conference reports delivered by the Centre's research staff, a featured resource section which is used to profile selected research centres, institutions and websites, links to qualitative research websites, plus information on the Centre's masterclasses and workshop programmes.
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Consortium for Qualitative Research Methods
http://humancommunication.clas.asu.edu/aboutus/wellnesspublications.shtml
The consortium is based at Arizona State University. It was formed "to promote the teaching and use of qualitative research methods in the social sciences". The Consortium runs an annual training institute which "seeks to enable students to create and critique methodologically sophisticated qualitative research designs, including case studies, tests of necessity or sufficiency, and narrative or interpretive work". Full text documents can be downloaded for free from the Discussion Series and Working Papers sections of the website. Most documents are provided in PDF format. The Discussion Series includes recent or draft article-length papers and book chapters in which scholars develop, critique or apply a variety of qualitative methods, or discuss issues relevant to their application. Information about the QUALMETH listserv discussion list is also provided.
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Content-analysis.de
http://www.content-analysis.de/
Compiled by Matthias Romppel, Content-analysis.de is a collection of 'resources related to content analysis and text analysis'. The sources listed can be browsed by category (bibliographies, research, software, electronic texts and so on), or retrieved by a search engine. All sources are given a succinct description. There is also a useful list of recently added sources. The site is available in English or German.
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Convergent interviewing: a technique for qualitative data collection
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arp/iview.html
Bob Dick of Southern Cross University, has created this one-page essay to support the "regular public program areol (action research and evaluation on line)". It is a clear, practical examination of an interviewing technique that 'combines some of the features of structured and unstructured interviews, and uses a systematic process to refine the information collected'. The page is divided into 5 sections, which include a Detailed Description, 'Keeping the informant talking', and 'The opening question'. It forms part of the collection of Resource Papers in Action Research.
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Copyright and Oral History
http://www.ohs.org.uk/ethics/
This is a guide for people who record oral history interviews, and organisations and individuals who keep collections of oral history recordings in the United Kingdom. It was written by Alan Ward on behalf of the UK Oral History Society. The report sets out the ethical and legal responsibilities of researchers and recording oral history interviews. It provides a clear and concise explanation of the 1988 Copyright Act, in particular about the duration and scope of copyright of recordings and fair dealing provisions for using copyright materials. It goes on to discuss the implications for archiving oral history materials and provides an examples of a copyright clearance form. There are links to other websites for futher information at the end of the piece.
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Creation of Theory: A Recent Application of the Grounded Theory
http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR2-4/pandit.html
This is the paper from the doctoral research project by Naresh Pandit of Manchester University. In it he examines particular approaches to building theory. "The principal objective of this paper is to reveal how the style of qualitative research known as the grounded theory approach was applied in a research project which attempted to generate a theoretical framework of coporate turnaround." The paper discusses grounded theory and how it can be applied to research projects. The paper is published here in full but is copyrighted.
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