One of the most prominent currents felt in the arena of qualitative research methods is the impulse toward reflexivity and self-analysis: researchers considering their own place in the research act. The goals of this book are to describe various researcher experiences and give novice researchers some insight to better choose research settings, deal with their own personal issues in the research act, and to report their research accurately. The first part of the book will consider various populations and settings for qualitative research with a special emphasis on health care-related settings. Part Two will discuss how one processes the researcher experience - both in terms of tools that can be used (networking, focused discussions, qualitative writing, etc.) as well as issues pertaining to processing (cross-cultural and gender issues, etc.) It then offers some insight into ways of processing the researcher experience in teams. Finally, in part three, the author turn to ways of reporting the researcher experience, both in terms of possible setting (journal articles, chapters, the Internet) as well as modes and issues (first-person narratives, ethical considerations).

This extraordinary book reveals the experiences of twenty different wo men diagnosed with breast cancer. With extreme courage, insight, and c ompassion, the women uncover intimate perspectives of illness and reco very. In their own words, the women share how they have dealt with tre atment, coped with emotional and physical stress, faced the threat of recurring cancer, strengthened ties with family and friends, confronte d mortality, and developed new outlooks and philosophies. Breast Cance r is a remarkable book ideal for health professionals, educators, stud ents, patients, and their families, anyone interested in developing ne w insights into disease and living.