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. A focus on generative
moments illuminates what is life-giving, transformative and expansive both with regards to
imagination of ideas and development of scholars in the process of doing research. 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. These personal, back-stage accounts provide eaders with insights about the everyday 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. Readers will gain critical new insights about research practice and acquire important perspectives that are an inherent part of developing as a research scholar.

"This is not a book! It is a generative instrument for sharing the feelings associated with doing
qualitative research within a community of scholars. This book is an entry door to a secret garden
where qualitative researchers share their lived experiences and wisdom."
Silvia Gherardi, Professor in Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, Italy.

"Research Alive belongs on the bedside table of every qualitative researcher. It is a book I will go
back to time and again, sometimes to re-read a specific story but just as often to dip into it at
random for inspiration and energy. The stories in this volume come from qualitative researchers at
every career stage and will speak to a similarly broad audience. They address a wide range of
dilemmas and situations faced by qualitative researchers, but come together in their celebration
ofconnection and community as key sources of generativity in our work. I will be recommending
Research Alive to my friends and colleagues and assigning it as required reading for my doctoral
students"
Thomas B. Lawrence. Weyerhaeuser Professor of Change Management.
Faculty of Business Administration. Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.