4

Five Qualitative
Approaches to Inquiry

n this chapter, we begin our detailed exploration of narrative research,

I phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case studies. For each
approach, I pose a definition, briefly trace its history, explore types of stud-
ies, introduce procedures involved in conducting a study, and indicate poten-
tial challenges in using the approach. I also review some of the similarities and
differences among the five approaches so that qualitative researchers can
decide which approach is best to use for their particular study.

Questions for Discussion

 What are a narrative study, a phenomenology, a grounded theory, an ethnog-
raphy, and a case study?
 What are the procedures and challenges to using each approach to qualitative
research?
 What are some similarities and differences among the five approaches?

Narrative Research
Definition and Background
Narrative research has many forms, uses a variety of analytic practices,
and is rooted in different social and humanities disciplines (Daiute &

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