Novel and Innovative Research Methodologies

Introduction
Historically, qualitative research proceeded on the basis of a fairly conservative concern to defend its perspectives and practices. In more recent times, qualitative researchers have begun to throw the net far and wide in order to find creative ways to address the complex challenges of approaching the human and social realms. Such a move into new waters has been served not just by a scientific concern with ‘truth’ but also by aesthetic and ethical concerns that may reflect Plato’s characterisation of the three realms of ‘the good, the true and the beautiful’. The challenge for qualitative research then is to incorporate insights, not just from the philosophy of science but from the philosophies of art, literature, ethics and aesthetics as well.  One of the practical implications of this for qualitative research is that qualitative researchers may need to become more explicit at the beginning of their studies in articulating the kind of knowledge, understanding or purposes that the specific research aims to address. 

The Centre for Qualitative Research, in addition to providing expertise in traditional qualitative research methodologies such as grounded theory, ethnography and narrative analysis, is also pursuing novel and innovative methodologies that draw upon multiple influences and epistemologies from philosophy, the arts and the humanities. We highlight here a number of innovations that are being developed here, and for which we are becoming increasingly known. These include Performative Social Science, Embodied Enquiry, the Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method, the cut up technique, Unitary Appreciative Inquiry, and integrative approaches to ‘mixing’ qualitative research methods.

Reference: Holloway I. & Todres, L. (2007).  Thinking differently: challenges in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being. 2(1), 12-18.

• Performative Social Science
• Embodied enquiry
• Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method
• The Cut-up Technique
• Unitary Appreciative Inquiry
• Ways of integrating a variety of qualitative approaches

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