Review: Marilyn Lichtman (2023). Qualitative Research in Education: A User's Guide (4th ed.)

Abstract

LICHTMAN's 4th edition of "Qualitative Research in Education: A User's Guide" is a timely and clearly-written text that both new and experienced researchers will find useful. Although the title and many of the examples in the text relate to education, this book has applicability across different areas of qualitative inquiry. What is especially appealing is that the book is broken into three distinct phases: 1. Traditions, theory, and practice; 2. Planning your research; 3. Collecting, organizing, and communicating. These sections build on each other and this results in readers being able to actually plan and conduct their own qualitative inquiries. Readers will also find that the examples used throughout the text as well as the appendices complement the clear writing and explicit instruction. For all of these reasons, this text deserves serious consideration for any curriculum where qualitative inquiry is an essential component.