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Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences, 3d ed. Bruce L. Berg. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. 1998. 290 pages. $36.00.
Bruce Berg's Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences enters its third edition retaining the considerable strengths of earlier editions and continuing to serve as a straightforward, thorough guide to the practical application of qualitative methodology in the social sciences. New to this edition is an expanded discussion of ethical concerns that social scientists in many areas will find timely and informative. Also, historiography and oral traditions receive appreciable though brief attention, and the book's intended audience now conceivably includes all interested laypersons desiring basic introduction to qualitative methods. Berg provides a systematic framework that encourages the new researcher to consistently build a process of research which only begins with data gathering.
Chapter 1 engages the prospective researcher in an overview of crucial dimensions of research.
The differences between quantitative and qualitative methodologies are discussed, the logic behind the existing varieties of methods is explained briefly, and an interesting examination of the use of triangulation follows. Berg then ties this initial overview to the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism to encourage the reader's comprehension of the interdependencies between methods and theory. Attention is paid as well to frequent criticisms of qualitative approaches in order to sensitize the researcher to the fact that strengths and weaknesses attend every research venture's progress.
Chapter 2 elucidates a sensible, well-grounded design for a process of research. The consistent dual focus upon operationalization and conceptualization serve a student reader particularly well. Berg casts the familiar induction versus deduction contrast in an interesting light by describing potential alternate research processes that would, followed to logical endpoints, arrive at identical findings. Students are thus reassured that a single correct procedure is not the ideal, and are encouraged to make active, balanced choices in conceptualizing research goals. Step by step procedures of operational ization take up a substantial part of this chapter, ending with three "try it out" exercises to encourage immediate research involvement.
If Chapter 2 appears to experienced researchers as aimed too directly at the newcomer, the same cannot be said of the ethical issues under scrutiny in Chapter 3. Berg provides a valuable service to colleagues by circumspectly weighing...