Karen O'Reilly

Creative methods, Ethnography, Focus groups, Interviews, Qualitative Analysis, Qualitative Methods, Qualitative research design, Reflexivity, Teaching social research, Teaching sociology

Assessing the value of qualitative research

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August 11, 2025

Qualitative research should be guided and evaluated according to its methodological principles not by any false or imported ideas of how it should be. In my book Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit, Policy Press, 2025, I argue that however you approach your qualitative research, whatever methods you use…
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Creative methods, Ethnography, Focus groups, Interviews, Qualitative Analysis, Qualitative Methods, Qualitative research design, Reflexivity, research methods, Teaching sociology

Qualitative Data Analysis is not (just) Thematic Analysis. It is always (also) Interpretive.

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August 5, 2025

In my book, Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit (25 March 2025), I introduce the new term ‘Interpretive Analysis’ and I don’t (just) use thematic analysis. My main reason for not using the term ‘Thematic Analysis’ is that when taken literally that simply means analysing and looking for things. A theme can be…
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Creative methods, ethics, Ethnography, Focus groups, Interviews, Qualitative Analysis, Qualitative Methods, Reflexivity, Teaching social research

Nine Heuristics for qualitative analysis

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July 17, 2025

In my new book, Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit (Policy Press), I outline a new approach for interpretive qualitative analysis using Nine Heuristics. These are: Heuristics are models that provide short-cut ways of thinking practically about something that is more complex and interlocking than appears. With any of these…
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Communicating, Qualitative Methods, Qualitative research design, research methods, Writing

Exercises for Chapter 9 Communicating

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July 10, 2025

I am sharing exercises to accompany each chapter of Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit (Policy Press). https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/qualitative-research-methods-for-everyone Here are the exercises for Chapter 9 – the final chapter Writer’s Block. Discuss with colleagues and friends their techniques for dealing with writer’s block. It will make you feel better…
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Creative methods, Ethnography, Qualitative Analysis, Qualitative Methods, Reflexivity, research methods, Teaching sociology

Exercises for Chapter 8 Analysing and interpreting

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July 10, 2025

I am sharing exercises to accompany each chapter of Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit (Policy Press). https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/qualitative-research-methods-for-everyone Here are the exercises for Chapter 8 Practice. As it says in the book: The best exercises for this chapter are to practice as you go along. “As soon as you…
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Creative methods, Ethnography, Qualitative Analysis, Qualitative Methods, Qualitative research design, Reflexivity, Teaching social research

Exercises for Chapter 7 Being creative

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July 10, 2025

I am sharing exercises to accompany each chapter of Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit (Policy Press). https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/qualitative-research-methods-for-everyone Here are the exercises for Chapter 7 Design. I strongly recommend designing and practicing some creative approaches. Write an email directive that is added to as you go along and meet someone…
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Ethnography, Qualitative Analysis, Qualitative Methods, Qualitative research design, Reflexivity, Sociology, Teaching social research

Exercises for Chapter 6 Being Ethnographic

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July 3, 2025

I am sharing exercises to accompany each chapter of Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit (Policy Press). https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/qualitative-research-methods-for-everyone Here are the exercises for Chapter 6. Try doing some ethnographic observations: to emulate the experience of participant observation, make some notes on your feelings, experiences and observations of a recent event.…
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Focus groups, Qualitative Methods, Qualitative research design, research methods

Exercises for Chapter 5 Group Discussions (Focus Groups)

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July 3, 2025

I am sharing exercises to accompany each chapter of Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit (Policy Press). https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/qualitative-research-methods-for-everyone Here are the exercises for Chapter 5. Assessing the quality of your focus group questioning skills: Prepare and test out a checklist to use after a focus group to assess its…
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Interviews, Qualitative Methods, Qualitative research design, Reflexivity, research methods, Teaching social research

Exercises for Chapter 4 Interviewing

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June 26, 2025

I am sharing exercises to accompany each chapter of Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit (Policy Press). https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/qualitative-research-methods-for-everyone Here are the exercises for Chapter 4. Discussion guides. Find at least three examples of topic or discussion guides and contrast and compare them in terms of content and style. Then design…
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ethics, Qualitative research design, Reflexivity, research methods

Exercises for Chapter 3 Being Ethical and Reflexive

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June 26, 2025

I am sharing exercises to accompany each chapter of Qualitative Research Methods for Everyone: An Essential Toolkit (Policy Press). https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/qualitative-research-methods-for-everyone Here are the exercises for Chapter 3. Gaining consent. Try to obtain at least three versions of a participant information sheet and compare and contrast them. Design a participant information sheet for i)…
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