Most cited papers in Social Science and Policy Research
What are the most cited papers in Social Science and Policy Research?
The most cited paper in Social Science and Policy Research is "Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method" (Glenn A. Bowen, 2009), with 12,630 citations. Next come "Narrative configuration in qualitative analysis" (3,945) and "Understanding and Validity in Qualitative Research" (2,954).
Showing 50 of 99 papers. Every paper with more than 209 citations is listed.
| # | Paper | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method Glenn A. Bowen · Qualitative Research Journal | 3 Aug 2009 | 12,630 |
| 2 | Narrative configuration in qualitative analysis Donald E. Polkinghorne · International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education | 1995 | 3,945 |
| 3 | Understanding and Validity in Qualitative Research Joseph A. Maxwell · Harvard Educational Review | Sep 1992 | 2,954 |
| 4 | Qualitative Research: Rigour and qualitative research Nicholas Mays, Catherine J. Pope · BMJ | 8 Jul 1995 | 2,732 |
| 5 | Ethics, Reflexivity, and “Ethically Important Moments” in Research Marilys N. Guillemin, Lynn H. Gillam · Qualitative Inquiry | Apr 2004 | 2,641 |
| 6 | Choose Your Method: A Comparison of Phenomenology, Discourse Analysis, and Grounded Theory Helene E. Starks, Susan Brown Trinidad · Qualitative Health Research | 13 Nov 2007 | 2,550 |
| 7 | Qualitative research in nursing - Advancing the humanistic imperative Annatjie Botes · Health SA Gesondheid | Dec 1996 | 1,800 |
| 8 | Quality in Qualitative Research Clive F. Seale · Qualitative Inquiry | Dec 1999 | 1,757 |
| 9 | Interpretive description: A noncategorical qualitative alternative for developing nursing knowledge Sally Elizabeth Thorne, Sheryl Reimer Kirkham, Janet MacDonald‐Emes · Research in Nursing & Health | Apr 1997 | 1,705 |
| 10 | A phenomenological hermeneutical method for researching lived experience Anders Lindseth, Astrid Norberg · Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences | 17 May 2004 | 1,698 |
| 11 | Case Study Research and Applications Kosuke Mizukoshi · Quarterly Journal of Marketing | 28 Sep 2023 | 1,536 |
| 12 | Competing Against Time George Stalk, Thomas M. Hout · Research-Technology Management | Mar 1990 | 1,276 |
| 13 | Establishing rigour in qualitative research: the decision trail Tina Koch · Journal of Advanced Nursing | May 1994 | 1,125 |
| 14 | The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA): A Guide to a Good Qualitative Research Approach Abayomi Oluwatosin Alase · International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies | 30 Apr 2017 | 1,074 |
| 15 | Process Tracing and Elite Interviewing: A Case for Non-probability Sampling Oisín Tansey · PS Political Science & Politics | Oct 2007 | 1,022 |
| 16 | Depoliticising development: The uses and abuses of participation Sarah C. White · Development in Practice | Feb 1996 | 967 |
| 17 | Social sustainability: a catchword between political pragmatism and social theory Beate Littig, Erich Grießler · International Journal of Sustainable Development | 2005 | 953 |
| 18 | Social Science Concepts: A User's Guide Gary Goertz · Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) | 25 Dec 2005 | 939 |
| 19 | Validity and Qualitative Research: An Oxymoron? Anthony John Onwuegbuzie, Nancy L. Leech · Quality & Quantity | 24 May 2006 | 833 |
| 20 | Reflexivity, Positionality and Participatory Ethics: Negotiating Fieldwork Dilemmas in International Research Farhana Sultana · Open Collections | 8 Mar 2015 | 831 |
| 21 | The Social Construction of Validity Steinar Kvale · Qualitative Inquiry | Mar 1995 | 808 |
| 22 | Research Paradigms and Meaning Making: A Primer Steven Eric Krauss · The Qualitative Report | 20 Jan 2015 | 800 |
| 23 | The Tyranny of Transparency Marilyn Strathern · British Educational Research Journal | Jun 2000 | 781 |
| 24 | Power Relations in Qualitative Research Orit Karnieli‐Miller, Roni Strier, Liat Pessach · Qualitative Health Research | 3 Dec 2008 | 638 |
| 25 | Reconceptualizing rigour: the case for reflexivity Tina Koch, Ann Harrington · Journal of Advanced Nursing | Oct 1998 | 622 |
| 26 | Case Study Methodology of Qualitative Research: Key Attributes and Navigating the Conundrums in Its Application Arya Priya · Sociological Bulletin | 19 Nov 2020 | 609 |
| 27 | Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research Rachel H. Adler · Journal of Human Lactation | 4 Aug 2022 | 593 |
| 28 | Ethnographic Research: A Guide to General Conduct Pertti J. Pelto · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease | May 1987 | 570 |
| 29 | Rethinking Social Inquiry: Diverse Tools, Shared Standards Leonard A. Steverson · Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews | Sep 2005 | 563 |
| 30 | Planned and Unplanned Discourse Elinor Ochs | 20 Dec 1979 | 529 |
| 31 | Appraising the quality of qualitative research Denis J. Walsh, Soo M. Downe · Midwifery | 24 Oct 2005 | 525 |
| 32 | Actors and Systems: The Politics of Collective Action, by Michel Crozier and Erhard Friedberg Jan Smith · Political Science Quarterly | 1981 | 508 |
| 33 | SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORY Kenneth R. Hammond, Thomas R. Stewart, Berndt Brehmer et al. · Elsevier eBooks | 1975 | 502 |
| 34 | ‘Just sustainability’: the emerging discourse of environmental justice in Britain? Julian Agyeman, Bob Evans · Geographical Journal | Jun 2004 | 498 |
| 35 | The privatization of public interest: theorizing NGO discourse in a neoliberal era Sangeeta G. Kamat · Review of International Political Economy | Feb 2004 | 488 |
| 36 | Distinguished Lecture: Facing Power—Old Insights, New Questions Eric R. Wolf · American Anthropologist | Sep 1990 | 480 |
| 37 | The Ethical Challenges of Field Research in Conflict Zones Elisabeth Jean Wood · Qualitative Sociology | 19 Jun 2006 | 479 |
| 38 | Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge John D. Swales · Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine | Feb 1999 | 475 |
| 39 | The use of triangulation in qualitative studies employing elite interviews Rebecca S. Natow · Qualitative Research | 19 Feb 2019 | 462 |
| 40 | Social Identity Map: A Reflexivity Tool for Practicing Explicit Positionality in Critical Qualitative Research Danielle Jacobson, Nida Mustafa · International Journal of Qualitative Methods | 2019 | 437 |
| 41 | Enhancing the Rigor of Grounded Theory: Incorporating Reflexivity and Relationality Wendy Anne Hall, Peter Callery · Qualitative Health Research | Mar 2001 | 435 |
| 42 | The hermeneutics of faith and the hermeneutics of suspicion Ruthellen Josselson · Narrative Inquiry | Jul 2004 | 435 |
| 43 | Interviewing Elites Robert Mikecz · Qualitative Inquiry | 22 May 2012 | 416 |
| 44 | Time for ethnography Bob Jeffrey, Geoff Troman · British Educational Research Journal | Aug 2004 | 416 |
| 45 | CONFRONTING THE ETHICS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Svend Brinkmann, Steinar Kvale · Journal of Constructivist Psychology | 16 Mar 2005 | 405 |
| 46 | Does discourse matter? Discourse analysis in environmental policy making Peter H. Feindt, Angela Oels · Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning | Sep 2005 | 395 |
| 47 | Deductive Qualitative Analysis: Evaluating, Expanding, and Refining Theory Stephen T. Fife, Jacob D. Gossner · International Journal of Qualitative Methods | 2024 | 391 |
| 48 | The right to research Arjun Appadurai · Globalisation Societies and Education | 15 Jun 2006 | 367 |
| 49 | Theoretical Frameworks in Qualitative Research William R. Molasso · Journal of College and Character | Sep 2006 | 365 |
| 50 | Planning With Complexity: An Introduction to Collaborative Rationality for Public Policy Patsy Healey · Planning Theory & Practice | Dec 2010 | 357 |
Citations are OpenAlex's own counts, from its 2026-09-23 snapshot, so the ranking can differ from Google Scholar or Web of Science. A paper is listed for a field when OpenAlex files it under one of the field's topics; retracted papers and papers whose citation count cannot be traced to citing works are left out, and a preprint and the article it became are shown once. Release dates are OpenAlex's: where a source gave only a month or a year, that is what is shown. How the lists are chosen.