Research Alive

What makes qualitative research really worth doing? When do people feel most alive and energized in their research? Research Alive offers insight into the doing of qualitative research by focusing on stories of moments that are experienced as generative.

The book offers a unique array of 40 stories from both new and established scholars. The stories cover the full arc of the research process, from initial idea conception to publication and other forms of interaction with users of research. The stories are personal, back-stage accounts of everyday challenges in research and their resolutions - some derived from action research, some from ethnographies, others from more historical studies.

These accounts provide readers with insights about the micro-moments that compose the doing of qualitative research, that are typically invisible, not discussed and yet are wellsprings of motivation and insight that sustain and inspire qualitative researchers. From these stories readers will gain critical new insights about research practice and acquire important perspectives that are an inherent part of developing as a research scholar.

The book is organized into three sections: stories of Seeding in Research with a commentary by Calvin Morrill, stories of Growing in Research with a commentary by Ann Cunliffe and stories of Harvesting in Research with a commentary by Joanne Martin. Chapters by Arne Carlsen and Jane Dutton open and close the volume.