Qualitative Methods in Sociolinguistics is the only book on qualitative research methods designed especially for readers doing research on language and society. It provides a brief, accessible introduction to general theoretical and practical questions about research and also covers the principal means of selecting, collecting, and analyzing data for interpretive sociolinguistic work. Topics discussed include the historical context of contemporary sociolinguistic methodology, the development of research questions, standards of evidence, research ethics, ethnography, discourse analysis, and strategies for writing articles and essays. In each chapter the author considers both field methods and analytical methods, illustrating the approaches by describing studies that have employed them. Exercises, ideas for discussion, and suggestions for further reading enhance the text and provide starting points for student research projects. Clearly written and comprehensible to students at all levels, this unique work is an ideal supplementary text for courses in sociolinguistics, language and culture, and field methods. It is also a helpful reference for anyone contemplating sociolinguistic research on any level.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction. ; 2. Methodology in the Historical Context (field methods in American dialect geography, field methods and "discovery procedure" in descriptive linguistics, analytical methods in historical/comparative linguistics, general themes). ; 3. Thinking About Methodology (What is research? What is Data? What does "empirical" mean? What makes a good research question? What is "qualitative " ; 4. Some Legal and Ethical Issues (researchers and the researched, researcher and resources, the uses of results). ; 5. Standards of Evidence (How do you know when you're right? Reliability and validity in qualitative research. Evaluating competing inerpretations.) ; 6. Thinking: Introspection and Intuition (What is intuition? What is introspection? Introspective research in sociolinguistics: an example. Roles for intutition in sociolinguistics? Intuitions about competence, intuituve leaps.) ; 7. Looking: Participant Observation (What is participant observation? What is ehtnography, Ethnography in sociolinguistics. Doing ethnography: some preliminary issues. Starting out: field methods for participant observation. Making sense: focusing on fieldwork and analytical methods.) ; 8. Reading and Listening: Discourse Analysis (selecting written texts, recording discourse, kinds of conversational data, transcribing, analytical approaches.) ; 9. Writing (The Article: introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, discussion. Other modes. The grammar of particularity).