Analyzing the Law Qualitatively

Autor/in	Mitchell, Matthew
Titel	Analyzing the Law Qualitatively
Quelle	In: Qualitative Research Journal, 23 (2023) 1, S.102-113 (12 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Mitchell, Matthew)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1443-9883
DOI	10.1108/QRJ-04-2022-0061
Schlagwörter	Qualitative Research; Content Analysis; Research Methodology; Laws; Legal Problems; Court Litigation; Rhetoric + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Qualitative Forschung; Inhaltsanalyse; Research method; Forschungsmethode; Law; Recht; Rechtsstreit; Rhetorik
Abstract	Purpose: This article develops a methodological framework to support qualitative analyses of legal texts. Scholars across the social sciences and humanities use qualitative methods to study legal phenomena but often overlook formal legal texts as productive sites for analysis. Moreover, when qualitative researchers do analyze legal texts, they rarely discuss the methodological underpinnings that support their approach. A thorough consideration of the methodological underpinnings of qualitative approaches to legal analysis is therefore warranted. Design/methodology/approach: By bringing critical legal theory into conversation with qualitative methodology, this article outlines a set of key principles to inform qualitative approaches to reading the law. Findings: To construct this methodological framework, this article first distinguishes between qualitative approaches to textual analysis and the doctrinal approaches undertaken in legal practice and formal legal scholarship. It then considers how this qualitative approach might be applied to one particular genre of legal text: namely, judicial opinions, otherwise known as reasons for judgment. In doing so, it argues that robust qualitative analyses of legal texts must consider the unique characteristics of those texts, such as their distinct form, voice, rhetorical structure, and performative capabilities. Originality/value: The methodological framework outlined here should encourage qualitative researchers to approach legal texts more readily and challenge the hegemony of doctrinal approaches to legal interpretation in social science research. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01