Qualitative Research in the Post-Modern Era

This book presents a discussion of qualitative research in this, our late postmodern era. Interviews with key influential scholars represent the apex of autobiographical research. Gathered here are voices of giants in the field, along with additional critical perspectives. The text discusses qualitative and quantitative research, chronicles the colonial and postcolonial nature of qualitative research and identifies qualitative research within “Five Contexts,” developed by Cooper and White. These contexts offer a major contribution to thinking about research and research paradigms. This volume offers succinct summations of qualitative research with respect to our late postmodern era. Commentary, summary, (auto)biography and video-clips of current and late scholars provide a complete rendition of the current state of qualitative research. This volume will assist understanding, managing and effecting practices and procedures relating to qualitative research.

We seek to know who the researcher is within the research account and how researchers relate to the research at hand. Thus, we can learn from many of the researchers represented in this volume who have helped develop the entire paradigm of qualitative research. Much has changed over the past decade and this volume attests to the relevance of these changes.

Qualitative research has changed dramatically in terms of how research is represented, understood and interpreted. The field has never been more dynamic that it is at this moment. There are deep sea changes in research, as both qualitative and quantitative research are developing vocabularies better suited to research of any kind, and as qualitative research continues to develop a vocabulary distinct from its quantitative counterpart. Some of these changes can be seen in the advancement of post-colonial and non-colonial research. Additionally, there are numerous and frequent tensions within the entire field of research, both qualitative and quantitative, that offer opportunities not previously encountered.