ABSTRACT
Many of the core skills involved in qualitative research are also likely to have already been developed – if not mastered – by many students or practitioners. For example, a typical essay will demand related tasks such as collecting, processing and analysing information. Social work practitioners undertake interviews as part of any assessment or write reports for ‘funding panels’ or as part of court proceedings. We are therefore at least reasonably prepared for many of the tasks and roles held within the seemingly privileged domain of the professional researcher. Just as importantly perhaps, qualitative research is learnt just as much through direct experience as through study. It can also help promote our imagination and sense of creativity or curiosity and urge to know more. Qualitative social work research can however also be labour intensive and demanding. Whilst true, this book hopes to save the reader time and energy by providing a clear guide on how to focus your study, plan ahead, apply research methods and
techniques and develop a theoretical and philosophical framework for a study, and finally how to write up and disseminate any findings.
