Rapid Qualitative Inquiry

Practitioners in need of timely results for program and policy planningand students looking for realistic research projectswill find solutions in Rapid Qualitative Inquiry (RQI), a team-based, applied research method designed to quickly develop an insiders perspective on and preliminary understanding of complicated on-the-ground situations. In this accessible field guide to RQI, James Beebe provides an introduction to research that substitutes teamwork for long-term fieldwork; uses iterative data collection, data analysis, and additional data collection; triangulates data from multiple sources; and applies techniques and concepts from ethnography and case study research. Extensive examples make clear that rapid does not mean rushed and that rigorous RQI depends upon flexibility rather than an arbitrary list of techniques. Throughout, Beebes clear prose guides interdisciplinary readers through the process, promise, and potential pitfalls of RQI.