For teachers and supervisors
Many of our free online resources are used by people teaching qualitative (and mixed) methods courses in universities and colleges, as well as by people supervising PhD students.
This page is a selection of our resources which have proved particularly popular as teaching resources.
Facet methodology and mixed methods
Facet methodology is a new model for mixed method research, developed at the Morgan Centre, which combines different methodological/substantive 'facets' to cast light on a topic or question.
Older, but still popular, resources on mixed methods include:
- Working paper 4: Six strategies for mixing methods and linking data
- Working paper 2: Combining data, enhancing explanation
Writing with your data
A particularly tricky part of any project. These resources might be useful:
- Working paper 13: Disciplined writing: On the problem of writing sociologically
- The Emotional Challenges of Writing - video clip discussing why academic writing is so hard!
The 'coal face' of qualitative research
Some resources on the practical aspects of social research often missing from more formal literature!
- Toolkit 08: Transcribing your own qualitative data - tips on planning your transcribing, and how to do your transcription in the most efficient way. Includes a spreadsheet to calculate for working how long it will take.
- Working paper 5: Anonymising data working paper
- Toolkit 05: Door knocking as a method of recruiting a sample
- Toolkit 01: Informed consent in visual research - deals with negotiating consent to use visual data (in this case, family photographs
Other publications and resources
Some key methodological publications which aren't available for free from this website, but might be accessible through your institution's library
- Mason, J and Dale, A (2011) Understanding Social Research: Thinking Creatively About Method (Sage: London) - You can preview most of the introductory chapter via the link above.
- Mason, J and Davies, K (2009) 'Coming to our senses?: A critical approach to sensory methodology. Qualitative Research, 9 (5). pp. 587-603.
- Smart, C (2009) 'Shifting Horizons: Reflections on qualitative methods. Feminist Theory, 10 (3). pp. 295-308.
- Mason, J, (2008) 'Tangible Affinities and the Real Life Fascination of Kinship' Sociology, 42 (29) pp 29-45.
Videos
The emotional challenges of writing, Carol Smart
May 2010, 6:49 minutes
In this clip, Carol Smart talks about the emotional challenges of writing: why is academic writing so difficult and what can we do to overcome these difficulties?
Reference
Smart, C (2010) The Emotional Challenges of Writing [Video]
View text transcript of video.
You might also like...
The challenges of writing sociologically are considered in Carol Smart's Realities working paper on a similar subject. If you would like to see what Carol produces when she has finished her writing avoidance routines mentioned in the video (!), have a look at her book, Personal Life.
- Working paper 13: 'Disciplined Writing: On the problem of writing sociologically', Carol Smart
- Personal Life: New Directions in Sociological Thinking (November 2007) Cambridge: Polity (View on Amazon)