Gaining Access

A Practical and Theoretical Guide for Qualitative Researchers

By (author) Martha S. Feldman, Jeannine Bell, Michele Tracy Berger

Not available to order

Publication date:

01 September 2004

Length of book:

192 pages

Publisher

AltaMira Press

ISBN-13: 9780585463896

Gaining access is a critical part of doing research, not only because one must 'get in' in order to gain information, but also because the quality of access affects what information is available to the researcher. Despite its importance, the literature on qualitative methods has not yet provided an extensive treatment of this issue. Gaining Access fills the void by offering useful, prescriptive advice on how to successfully enter different field settings for interviewing and observation. The detailed methodological guidelines presented by the authors are reinforced in a set of case studies by expert researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds on a wide variety of formal and informal settings, from working with ethnic minorities in Bosnia to studying prisons, sex workers, welfare offices, and the clergy. This book will provide useful ideas to experienced qualitative researchers as well as invaluable advice to novices conducting their first study.
Stressing the fluid nature of gaining access, the three authors discuss the relational aspects of preparing for, entering into, working within, and exiting a research site . . . [the] contributors have political science and policy degrees and ongoing research interests, making this volume most helpful for readers in similar fields....