Slices of Life provides an overview of five qualitative approaches to research: naturalistic inquiry, case study, narrative-based approaches, historical research and collaborative research. Differences in the interpretations of the five approaches are evident and rather than providing a consensual view of each approach, each contribution depicts a particular way of theorising and implementing the approach.

Consequently, readers will detect variation and perhaps even discord. Such complexities are seen to be important insights for researchers to consider. In this way, Slices of Life celebrates the diversity of research experiences.

Slices of Life is the result of the efforts of a group of passionate researchers committed to the investigation of people’s lives. All the contributors share a thirst for the sociologically informed ‘dig’ resulting in the theoretical perspective of each author being illustrated by an instance of research thoughtfully and frankly reflected upon.

The Qualitative Research Methods series is intended primarily to assist postgraduate research students in understanding the different qualitative research methods and to enable students to choose the most appropriate method for their particular research. The series will also provide guidance on conducting research throughout candidature. These monographs will be a valuable aid and support to supervisors and examiners of postgraduate research students using qualitative research.

Other titles in the series:
Action Research
Phenomenography
Phenomenology
Emerging Forms
Doing Developmental Phenomenography