Max's reading list

Mario Luis Small's "Case Selection in Field Research"  examines the challenges faced by qualitative researchers, particularly ethnographers studying urban poverty, immigration, and social inequality, in a research landscape dominated by quantitative methodologies. The article critiques the common practice of imitating quantitative methods to enhance the generalizability of case studi...

This article details a three-year ethnographic study employing grounded theory to investigate the overrepresentation of minority students in special education.  The authors address methodological considerations in qualitative research and present a visual model illustrating their analytic process.  Their research in an urban school district explored the decision-making processes contributing to th...

Warren, M. R., Park, S. O., & Tieken, M. C. (2016). The Formation of Community-Engaged Scholars: A Collaborative Approach to Doctoral Training in Education Research. Harvard Educational Review , 86 (2), 233–260. https://doi.org/10.17763/0017-8055.86.2.233 This paper examines the development of community-engaged scholars (CES) in doctoral programs, focusing on collaborative education research....

Desmond, M. (2014). Relational ethnography. Theory and Society , 43 (5), 547–579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-014-9232-5 Matthew Desmond's "Relational Ethnography" argues for a shift in ethnographic research from studying bounded groups and places to examining relationships and processes.  The author posits that traditional approaches often reinforce static and isolated views of s...

This text explores the ongoing debate surrounding the evaluation of qualitative research in the social sciences.  It highlights a historical divide between qualitative and quantitative researchers, noting a shift towards greater acceptance and influence of qualitative work.  Despite this progress, disagreements persist regarding the criteria for assessing the quality and scientific validity of qua...

The  International Journal of Education & the Arts  article "Portraiture as Pedagogy" explores the use of portraiture as a qualitative research methodology, particularly within the context of arts education.  The authors, a research team of graduate students and a faculty member, share their experiences using portraiture in an urban arts high school project.  They emphasize the pedag...

This guide underscores the importance of cognitive empathy in qualitative research, distinguishing it from sympathy.   It emphasizes that a researcher's ability to understand the perceptions, meanings, and motivations of those studied from their own perspectives is crucial.   The document uses examples of interview and observational data to illustrate how researchers can effectively demonstrat...

This module provides an overview of Item Response Theory (IRT) models, specifically comparing the 1-, 2-, and 3-parameter logistic models.  It details the mathematical formulas for each model and illustrates the impact of varying item parameters like difficulty, discrimination, and the pseudo-guessing parameter.  A key focus is on how these parameters influence item characteristic curves and how t...

Shavelson, R. J., & Webb, N. M. (1991). Generalizability Theory: A Primer . SAGE Publications, Incorporated. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/harvard-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6636862 Generalizability theory utilizes ANOVA to dissect the variability within social science measurements, similar to how researchers assess the impact of independent variables.  This approach partitions a person...

Shavelson, R. J., & Webb, N. M. (1991). Generalizability Theory: A Primer . SAGE Publications, Incorporated. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/harvard-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6636862 Generalizability (G) theory is a statistical framework used to evaluate the dependability of behavioural measurements by examining multiple sources of error simultaneously.  Unlike classical test theory, G t...

Brennan, R. L. (1992). Generalizability Theory. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice , 11 (4), 27–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.1992.tb00260.x The primary source presents generalizability theory as a framework and methodology for dissecting error sources in measurement procedures, building upon classical test theory and ANOVA.  It introduces concepts such as universes of admissib...

Rinaldo, R., & Guhin, J. (2022). How and Why Interviews Work: Ethnographic Interviews and Meso-level Public Culture. Sociological Methods & Research, 51(1), 34–67. Rinaldo and Guhin's article explores the use of ethnographic interviews in sociological research.   They argue that these interviews are crucial for understanding the interplay between different modes of culture: declarative...

Jiménez, T. R., & Orozco, M. (2021). Prompts, Not Questions: Four Techniques for Crafting Better Interview Protocols. Qualitative Sociology, 44(4), 507-528. Jiménez and Orozco's work focuses on enhancing the quality of data gathered through in-depth interviews by refining interview protocols.  They argue for the use of prompts rather than questions to encourage richer, more respondent-driv...

Small, M. L., & Calarco, J. M. (2022). Qualitative Literacy: A Guide to Evaluating Ethnographic and Interview Research . University of California Press. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/harvard-ebooks/detail.action?docID=7026737 This excerpt from a qualitative literacy guide emphasizes the crucial role of researcher self-awareness in ethnographic fieldwork.  The authors argue that a resear...

Luttrell, W. (Ed.). (2010). Qualitative educational research: Readings in reflexive methodology and transformative practice . Routledge. This excerpt from a qualitative literacy guide emphasizes the crucial role of researcher self-awareness in ethnographic fieldwork.  The authors argue that a researcher's identity significantly impacts data collection , influencing access to participants, the...

Paris, D., Winn, M. T., Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. (2014). R-Words: Refusing Research. In Humanizing Research: Decolonizing Qualitative Inquiry with Youth and Communities (pp. 223–248). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781544329611 This 2014 essay, "R-Words: Refusing Research," critiques the ethical implications of social science research, particularly its problematic engagement w...

Ackerman, T. A., Bandalos, D. L., Briggs, D. C., Everson, H. T., Ho, A. D., Lottridge, S. M., Madison, M. J., Sinharay, S., Rodriguez, M. C., Russell, M., Von Davier, A. A., & Wind, S. A. (2024). Foundational Competencies in Educational Measurement. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice , 43 (3), 7–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/emip.12581 This article from  Educational Measurement: Issues...

Koretz, D. (2009). Measuring Up: What Educational Testing Really Tells Us . Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1503gxj This excerpt from Daniel Koretz's  Measuring Up   explains the fundamental principles of educational achievement testing , using the analogy of a political poll to illustrate key concepts.  The core idea is the "sampling principle,"  highlighting...

Ho, A. D. (2024). Measurement Must Be Qualitative, then Quantitative, then Qualitative Again. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice , 43 (4), 137–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/emip.12662 This article from  Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice  synthesizes twelve commentaries by past presidents of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) on the past, present, and future...

Gerace, A., Day, A., Casey, S., & Mohr, P. (2013). An Exploratory Investigation of the Process of Perspective Taking in Interpersonal Situations. Journal of Relationships Research , 4 , e6. https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2013.6 This 2013 article from the  Journal of Relationships Research  explores the process of perspective-taking in interpersonal situations.  Researchers conducted interviews wi...

Todd, A. R., & Galinsky, A. D. (2014). Perspective‐Taking as a Strategy for Improving Intergroup Relations: Evidence, Mechanisms, and Qualifications. Social and Personality Psychology Compass , 8 (7), 374–387. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12116 This 2014 article by Todd and Galinsky reviews research on perspective-taking –  actively considering others' viewpoints  – as a method for improvi...

Costello, T. H., Pennycook, G., & Rand, D. G. (2024). Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI. Science , 385 (6714), eadq1814. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adq1814 This research explores the effectiveness of using AI-powered dialogues to reduce belief in conspiracy theories. Researchers engaged over 2000 participants in conversations with GPT-4, an AI model, designed t...

Aspers, P., & Corte, U. (2019). What is Qualitative in Qualitative Research. Qualitative Sociology , 42 (2), 139–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11133-019-9413-7 This 2019 article by Aspers and Corte examines the elusive definition of qualitative research. The authors systematically analyze existing literature, revealing a lack of a cohesive definition despite widespread practice. They propose a...

Seidman, I. (2019). Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences (Fifth edition). Teachers College Press. Irving Seidman's Interviewing as Qualitative Research (2019, 5th edition) is a guide for researchers using qualitative methods, particularly in-depth interviewing, within education and social sciences. The book advocates for interviewing as...

Lamont, M., & Swidler, A. (2014). Methodological Pluralism and the Possibilities and Limits of Interviewing. Qualitative Sociology , 37 (2), 153–171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11133-014-9274-z This 2014 paper by Lamont and Swidler advocates for  methodological pluralism  in sociology, arguing against the limitations of methodological tribalism. The authors defend  interviewing as a valuable res...