Constructivist Approaches and Research Methods

Working across a range of disciplines (Psychology, Health & Social Care and Pharmacy), Pam Denicolo, a Professor Emerita from the University of Reading,  a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and an Honorary Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, has wide-ranging experience both of using a range of research approaches and methods and of teaching how to use them well to a broad range of students and professionals world-wide. She has served on executive boards and committees of national and international learned societies and organisations devoted to research and teaching. She continues to publish widely student support materials, books, and journal articles on research because she remains passionately committed to mentoring and coaching newer researchers and academics.

Kim Bradley-Cole is a Chartered Psychologist and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. She has a PhD in Leadership and Organisational Behaviour from University of Reading, and an MSc in Occupational and Organisational Psychology from University of Surrey.  Kim retrained as a psychologist after a successful career in FMCG marketing and innovations, working on developing some of Britain's best loved brands, including Heinz, Bisto, Mr Kipling and Twinings. She has held marketing and HR roles in large organisations, as well as working agency side in market research and as a freelance work psychologist and coach. She actively uses constructivist methods in both academic and practitioner contexts and has taught MSc and PhD students how to effectively develop, apply and analyse different tools in their own research. Her PhD was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and used constructivist techniques to bring greater clarity and depth to an important, but contested, theoretical field by exploring managers implicit beliefs of authentic leadership. Kim is currently Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology at University of Surrey, where she teaches organisational psychology and qualitative research methods.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of personal construct psychology (PCP) that will help researchers understand the why's, what's and how's of conducting a rigorous constructivist research project.

From the theoretical underpinnings of constructivist approaches to the practical values of these techniques, these three expert authors explain how to conduct interpretative, constructivist research from inception to completion. Key topics include:

• Understanding research philosophies and paradigms
• Constructing and exploring personal realities
• Establishing effective research procedures
• Evaluating grids, mapping, narrative and other research methods
• Managing the practicalities of fieldwork
• Analysing and presenting data

With activities and procedural examples from a wide range of disciplines woven throughout the text and two special chapters featuring in-depth case studies from a variety of constructivist researchers, this book helps readers grasp the tools, designs, and opportunities of interpretative research.

An essential companion for both researchers and practitioners looking to understand people s values, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, or motivations!   

Covering theoretical foundations and practical applications, this book introduces the reader to PCP in its entirety and will be instrumental in helping them to do unbiased, rich interpretative, constructivist research