John W. Creswell & Cheryl N. Poth 
Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design [EPUB ebook] 
Choosing Among Five Approaches

1 • Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design
Rationale for Our Approach to the Book
Positioning Ourselves
Defining Qualitative Research
Selection of the Five Approaches
Key Book Readings
2 • Philosophical Assumptions and Interpretive Frameworks
Situating Philosophy and Interpretive Frameworks Within the Research Process
Philosophical Assumptions
Interpretive Frameworks
The Practice of Using Interpretive Frameworks in Qualitative Research
Linking Philosophy and Interpretive Frameworks in Qualitative Research
3 • Designing a Qualitative Study
When to Use Qualitative Research
What a Qualitative Study Requires From Us
The Features of a “Good” Qualitative Study
The Process of Designing a Qualitative Study
Practical Guidance for Qualitative Research Ethics
The Design Structures of a Qualitative Research Plan or Proposal
4 • Five Qualitative Approaches to Inquiry
Deciding Among the Five Approaches
Narrative Research
Phenomenological Research
Grounded Theory Research
Ethnographic Research
Case Study Research
Comparing the Five Approaches
5 • Five Different Qualitative Studies
A Narrative Study (Chan, 2010; see Appendix A)
A Phenomenological Study (Chance, 2022; see Appendix B)
A Grounded Theory Study (Trip et al., 2019; see Appendix C)
An Ethnographic Study (Mac an Ghaill & Haywood, 2015; see Appendix D)
A Case Study (Goodrum et al., 2022; see Appendix E)
Differences Among the Approaches
6 • Introducing and Focusing the Study
Interrelating the Study Problem, Purpose, and Questions Within Research
The Research Problem Statement
The Purpose Statement
The Research Questions
Introducing and Focusing Your Study
7 • Data Collection
The Data Collection Circle
Comparing the Five Approaches in Data Collection
8 • Data Analysis and Representation
Three Analysis Strategies
The Data Analysis Spiral
How to Use Computer Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDAS)
Analysis Within Approaches to Inquiry
Comparing the Five Approaches in Data Analysis
9 • Writing a Qualitative Study
Ethical Considerations for Writing
Several Writing Strategies
Overall and Embedded Writing Strategies
Comparing Writing Structures Across the Five Approaches
10 • Standards of Validation and Evaluation
Validation and Reliability in Qualitative Research
Evaluation Criteria for Qualitative Research
Evaluation Criteria Specific to Each of the Five Approaches
Comparing Evaluation Standards Across the Five Approaches
11 • “Turning the Story” and Conclusion to Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design
Turning the Story Across the Five Approaches
Conclusion: Seven Key Takeaways

Cheryl N. Poth, Ph D, is a Professor in the Faculty of Education and faculty member of the research-intensive Centre for Research and Applied Measurement and Evaluation at the University of Alberta. In this role, she has developed and taught graduate-level research methods and program evaluation courses in addition to supervising and mentoring students, faculty, and local as well as global community members in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research. She is the author of over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, three books as well as numerous book chapters. Her work has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association with the Division D Significant Contributions to Research Methodology Award in 2023 (with Peggy Shannon-Baker) and by the Textbook & Academic Authors Association with the Most Promising New Textbook Award in 2020 and the Mc Guffey Longevity Award for Qualitative Research book in 2018 (with John Creswell). She served as Editor of the SAGE Handbook of Mixed Methods Research (2023) and as Guest Coeditor of several journal special issues, including the International Journal of Qualitative Methods. In addition to more than 40 invited talks and 150 conference presentations, she has led research methods workshops with diverse audiences on four continents. She served as an Advisory Board Member of the International Institute of Qualitative Methodology (2014–2020); the President of the Mixed Methods International Research Association (2017–2018); a Research Fellow at the University of South Africa (2018–2020); a Helen Glass Scholar in the College of Nursing within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba (2022); and as a MERIT Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Mc Master University (2023–2025). In 2009, she cofounded the interdisciplinary Alberta Clinical and Community-Based Evaluation Research Team to advance innovative community–university research partnership supports for program planning and impact assessments of service delivery for individuals with complex needs. She serves as the Methodologist on several cross-disciplinary research teams and has led federally, provincially, and locally funded research projects. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research and is an editorial board member of several journals. Updates on her work can be found on her website at https://sites.google.com/ualberta.ca/cheryl-poth/.