Qualitative Research in Physical Activity and the Health Professions
ISBN-13: 9780736072137
Description: 232 pages (paperback)
Publishing Company:
Authors: William A. Pitney, Jenny Parker

Reviewer: Jacob Bersin

This book is packed full of resources and information pertaining to qualitative research. The authors have done a fantastic job of taking abstract information and making it practical and concrete. The book is very easy to understand. It is like having your own personal qualitative research advisor.

The book is very thorough in its analysis of qualitative research. I wish this book were around when I was in College because it would have helped when writing my literature review. The book is divided into four parts and eleven chapters. Each chapter contains several key elements to assist the reader in his or her comprehension. There are learning objectives, as well as questions to pique and maintain the reader's interest. In addition, each chapter describes specific and detailed examples of the content. The final section includes appendices, which outline several qualitative research examples. These examples are beneficial because they all are discussed in previous chapters.

Something I found very helpful were the diagrams and flowcharts depicting the content of each chapter. At the end of each chapter is a section where additional resources are given should the reader want to pursue the topic further. The book outlines how to conduct qualitative research, and gives dozens of pitfalls to avoid when engaging in research. The author gives practical and tangible examples of the various types of qualitative research.

In addition, the book analyzes qualitative research through several different angles and explains the benefits and limitations of each angle. I suggest reading this book one chapter at a time from beginning to end because each chapter lays the foundation for the next. I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in gaining a thorough background in qualitative research.

On a five star scale, I give this book a five!