With indispensable advice for students from all social science backgrounds, this handbook provides the core conceptual and practical skills to embark on succesful research. The organization of the book reflects the knowledge that is required in order to become a competent and effective researcher. It follows the life-cycle of the research project: it begins with a discussion of ethical and philosphical issues; presents guides to both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis; provides help on using computers in research; and includes advice on how to write up and present a research project.
Based on the UK Economic and Social Research Council advice on the training which students should undertake in preparation for postgraduate research, this book will be invaluable for all beginning researchers.
PART ONE: PHILOSOPHY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
Philosophy of Science and Its Relevance for the Social Sciences - Peter Smith
Questions of Hermeneutics - Nick Stevenson
Beyond Empiricism and Post-modernism
Feminist Methodologies for Social Researching - Sue Webb
Race and Racism - Peter Jackson
PART TWO: ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES IN SOCIAL RESEARCH
Ethical Principles - Gerry Kent
The Power of Research - Iain Crow
Informed Consent - Gerry Kent
Can the Law Prescribe an Ethical Framework for Social Science Research? - David Townend
Ethics in the Field - Anne Celnick
How Does Substantive Law Currently Regulate Social Science Research - David Townend
PART THREE: GETTING STARTED
Using Literature to Support Research - Dawn Burton
PART FOUR: QUALITATIVE METHODS: DESIGN, DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Theory and Method in Qualitative Research - Simon Holdaway
Participatory Research as Emancipatory Method - Wanda Thomas Bernard
Challenges and Opportunities
The Use of Focus Groups in Social Science Research - Caroline Oates
Qualitative Interviewing - Matt Stroh
The Use of Case Studies in Social Science Research - Dawn Burton
Computers and Qualitative Data Analysis - Matt Stroh
To Use or Not to Use...?
Writing Up Qualitative Data - Peter Jackson
PART FIVE: USING COMPUTERS FOR QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
Using NUD·IST Version 4 - Matt Stroh
A Hands-on Lesson
PART SIX: SURVEY RESEARCH IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES: DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION
Design Issues in Survey Research - Dawn Burton
Sampling Strategies in Survey Research - Dawn Burton
Data Collection Issues in Survey Research - Dawn Burton
Questionnaire Design - Dawn Burton
Secondary Data Analysis - Dawn Burton
PART SEVEN: QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
Descriptive Statistics - Vernon Gayle
Inferential Statistics - Vernon Gayle
Getting Started - Vernon Gayle
PART EIGHT: FINISHING OFF: WRITING, PRESENTING AND PUBLISHING
Writing a Thesis - Dawn Burton
Presentation Skills - Doug Watts and Paul White
Getting Published - Doug Watts and Paul White
