The Generic Qualitative Approach to a Dissertation in the Social Sciences

The Generic Qualitative Approach to a Dissertation in the Social Sciences: A Step by Step Guide is a practical guide for the graduate students and faculty planning and executing a generic qualitative dissertation in the social sciences. Generic qualitative research is a methodology that seeks to understand human experience by taking a qualitative stance and using qualitative procedures. Based on Sandra Kostere and Kim Kostere's experiences of serving on dissertation committees, this book aims to demystify both the nuances and the procedures of qualitative research, with the aim of empowering students to conduct meaningful dissertation research and present findings that are rigorous, credible, and trustworthy. It examines the fundamental principles and assumptions underlying the generic qualitative method, then covers each stage of the research process including creation of research questions, interviews, and then offers three ways of analyzing the data gathered and presenting the results. With examples of the generic qualitative method in practice to show students how to conduct their research confidently, and chapters designed to walk the researcher through each step of the dissertation process, this book is specifically tailored for the accessible generic method, and will be useful for graduate students and faculty developing dissertations in Psychology, Education, Nursing and the social sciences.

Sandra Kostere received her Ph.D. from The Union Institute, U.S.A. in 1989. She studied qualitative research with Clark Moustakas. She is a co-author of the journal article, Generic Qualitative Research in Psychology (2015). She served as a faculty member at Capella University for 20 years. She taught advanced qualitative research, served as a qualitative research consultant, and chaired qualitative dissertations. Kim Kostere received his Ph.D. from The Union Institute in 1989. He studied qualitative research with Clark Moustakas. He is a co-author of the journal article, Generic Qualitative Research in Psychology (2015). He served as a faculty member at Capella University for 20 years. He taught advanced qualitative research and has served as a chair and committee member for qualitative dissertations.

1. Beginning the Journey 2. The Research Question 3. Research Plan 4. Preparing for the Interview 5. Other Qualitative Data Collection Methods 6. Data Analysis 7. Presentation of the Data 8. Completing the Journey