Qualitative Methods in Public Health: A Field Guid e for Applied Research, Second Edition

A real-world guide to conducting rigorous qualitative research Qualitative Methods in Public Health: A Field Guide for Applied Research provides a practical orientation to conducting effective qualitative research in the public health sphere. With thorough examination and simple explanations, this book guides you through the logic and workflow of qualitative approaches, with step-by-step guidance on every phase of the research. You'll learn how to identify and make use of theoretical frameworks to guide your study, and then design the study to answer specific questions and achieve the research goals. Data collection, analysis, and interpretation are given close attention as the backbone of a successful study, and expert insight on reporting and dissemination helps you get your work noticed. This second edition features new examples from global health, including case studies specifically illustrating study design, web and mobile technologies, mixed methods, and new innovations in information dissemination. Pedagogical tools have been added to help enhance your understanding of research design and implementation, and extensive appendices show you how these concepts work in practice. Qualitative research is a powerful tool for public health, but it's very easy to get it wrong. Careful study design and data management are critical, and it's important to resist drawing conclusions that the data cannot support. This book shows you how to conduct high-quality qualitative research that stands up to review. * Design robust qualitative studies and collect the appropriate data * Translate your data into words without sacrificing accuracy * Merge qualitative and quantitative data to tell the whole story * Master the logistics of consent, interviews, focus groups, and more Effective public health programs require insight into the different contexts that affect behavior. A thorough understanding and appropriate application of qualitative research strategies is the difference between relevant and credible conclusions and pseudoscience. Qualitative Methods in Public Health shows you how to get it right every step of the way.