Theory and methods in social research / edited by Bridget Somekh and Cathy Lewin.

Previous edition: Research methods in the social sciences, 2005.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part one: reading, reviewing and reflecting -- Introduction -- 1. Research in the social sciences / Bridget Somekh (and others)-- 2. Working with literatures / Barbara Kamler and Pat Thomson-- 3. Ethical issues in generating public knowledge / Heather Piper and Helen Simons-- Part two: listening, exploring the case and theorizing -- Introduction -- 4. Ethnography / Jo Frankham and Christina MacRae-- 5. Research diaries / Mary Louise Holly and Herbert Altrichter-- 6. Case study / Charlotte Chadderton and Harry Torrance-- 7. Interviewing and focus groups / Rosaline S. Barbour and John Schostak-- Part three: addressing issues of power and researching for impact -- Introduction -- 8. Feminist methodologies / Diane Burns and Khatidja Chantler-- 9. Critical race theory and its use in social science research / Laurence Parker and Lorna Roberts-- 10. Queer Theory / Lesbian and gay approaches / Gloria Filax (and others)-- 11. Action research / Susan Noffke and Bridget Somekh-- 12. The purpose, practice and politics of sponsored evaluations / Tineke Abma and Thomas A. Schwandt-- Part four: observing, querying, interpreting -- Introduction -- 13. Grounded theory / Juliet Corbin and Nicholas L. Holt-- 14. Understanding phenomenology through reverse perspectives / Angie Titchen and Dawn Hobson-- 15. Observation / Liz Jones and Bridget Somekh-- 16. Discourse analysis / Alison Lee and Alan Petersen-- 17. Researching online practices / Colin Lankshear, Kevin M. Leander and Michele Knobel-- Part five: identity, community and representation -- Introduction -- 18. Life History and narrative methods / Scherto Gill and Ivor Goodson-- 19. Social semiotics and multimodal texts / Diane Mavers and Gunther Kress-- 20. Communities of practice / David Benzie and Bridget Somekh-- 21. Activity theory / Ines Langemeyer and Morten Nissen-- 22. Researching policy / Jill Blackmore and Hugh Lauder-- Part six: quantitative methods: theories and perspectives -- Introduction -- 23. The practices of quantitative methods / Kelvyn Jones -- 24. The positivist paradigm in contemporary social research: the interface of psychology, method and sociocultural theory / Charles Crook and Dean Garratt-- 25. Understanding and describing quantitative data / Cathy Lewin-- 26. Differences and relationships in quantitative data / Sally Barnes and Cathy Lewin-- 27. An introduction to statistical modelling / Kelvyn Jones-- Part seven: quantitative methods in action -- Introduction -- 28. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods in social inquiry / Jennifer C Greene, Holly Kreider and Ellen Mayer-- 29. Random reflections on modelling, geography and voting / Kelvyn Jones-- 30. Methodological issues in international comparative assessments of educational progress / W J Pelgrum-- 31. Evaluating literacy advance in the early years of school / John Ainley-- 32. Working backwards: the road less travelled in quantitative methodology / Brian Doig-- Part eight: researching in postmodern contexts -- Introduction -- 33. Deconstruction / Erica Burman and Maggie Maclure-- 34. From hermeneutics to post-structuralism to psychoanalysis / Tony Brown and Daniel Heggs-- 35. From structuralism to post-structuralism / Lee Miller, Joanne 'Bob' Whalley and Ian Stronach-- 36. Feminism / post-structuralism / Bronwen Davies and Suzanne Gannon.

This new edition provides a scholarly and readable introduction to all the key qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and methods, enabling postgraduate and masters-level students and new researchers to reflect on which ones suit their needs and to receive guidance on how to find out more.