Researching Interpersonal Relationships ─ Qualitative Methods, Studies, and Analysis

For interpersonal communication scholars wishing to engage in interpretivist research or apply the research in postpositivist studies, Manning (communication, Northern Illinois U.) and Kunkel (communication, U. of Kansas) describe the methods and theories used to perform qualitative research studies of interpersonal relationships. They describe how interpretive-oriented theories and qualitative research can work together to generate findings that are more sensitive and increase understanding in a variety of interpersonal communication contexts, as well as reasons for using qualitative methods. They discuss common traditions, a model for designing a study, paradoxes that may be encountered, and ethics, then outline specific methods (interviews, focus groups, open-ended surveys, ethnographic field studies, discourse analysis, and narrative analysis), ending with ideas for writing and presenting research. Research reports illustrating techniques and interviews with report authors are included within chapters. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)