Naturalistic inquiry is about studying people in everyday circumstances by ordinary means. It strives to blend in, to respect people in their daily lives, to take their actions and experiences seriously, and to build on these carefully. 'Doing Qualitative Research: The Craft of Naturalistic Inquiry' offers guidance, combining thoughtful reflection with practical tips. It is written for undergraduate and graduate students in social science; for practitioners in social work, healthcare, policy advice, and organizational consultancy; and for all who have a genuine interest in society and its members.

Joost Beuving teaches anthropology at Radboud University Nijmegen. He has a special interest in everyday economic life. He has studied car dealers in the second-hand car trade between Europe and West Africa, and fishermen in the Nile perch export business on Lake Victoria, East Africa.

Geert de Vries teaches sociology at VU University Amsterdam and Amsterdam University College. He specializes in historical sociology. He has studied educational expansion, schools, the life-worlds of youngsters, and social problems and social change in the Netherlands.

'One of the best methodological treatments in contemporary social science literature. It is the type of book that students will remember as the text that moved them to serious study. I am a flat out admirer of this book.' - Professor Michael Lewis, University of Massachusetts