Academic involved in first textbook NEWS
An academic from the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences has
been involved in the publication of the first textbook explicitly
designed to assist psychology undergraduate students to undertake
dissertation projects using qualitative research methods.
Doing Your Qualitative Psychology Project was published by
Sage in March 2012
Dr Stephen Gibson,
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, co-edited the book together with
Cath Sullivan (University of Central Lancashire) and Sarah Riley
(University of Aberystwyth).
The book arose from Stephen’s role as
Chair of the Higher Education Academy Psychology Network’s working
group on Teaching Qualitative Research Methods at Undergraduate
Level (TQRMUL) between 2008 and 2011, and features chapters on
planning, managing and writing up projects, as well as on
collecting and analysing data.
Stephen said: "The TQRMUL group had been
running workshops for lecturers teaching qualitative methods for a
number years, and we came to realise that there was a need for a
textbook that didn’t simply introduce qualitative approaches to
psychology, but guided students through the process of doing a
qualitative project for their dissertation. Having a group of
authors who were already used to working with each made the project
very enjoyable, and – we hope – has made the finished project more
coherent and integrated than one would expect of a typical edited
book."