Research methodology for social sciences / by M. Thamilarasan, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Madras, Chennai.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Social Science Research: An Introduction -- 2. Types and Dimensions of Social Research -- 3. Phases of Social Research -- 4. Research and Scientific Methods -- 5. Variables in Social Science Research -- 6. Sampling in Research -- 7. Hypotheses and Levels of Measurement -- 8. Review of Literature in Social Research -- 9. Quantitative and Qualitative Research -- 10. Research Design -- 11. Research Techniques -- 12. Data Collection and Analysis -- 13. Experimental Research and Survey -- 14. Writing a Research Report -- 15. Problems in the Study of Social Phenomena -- --

1. Social Science Research: An Introduction -- 1.1 Research and Social Research Defined -- 1.2 Characteristics of Social Science Research -- 1.3 Qualities of Good Research -- 1.4 Objectives of Social Science Research -- 1.5 Motivation in Research -- 1.6 Significance of Research -- -- 2. Types and Dimensions of Social Research -- 2.1 Types of Social Research -- 2.1.1 Descriptive vs. Analytical -- 2.1.2 Applied vs. Fundamental -- 2.1.3 Quantitative vs. Qualitative -- 2.1.4 Conceptual vs. Empirical -- 2.1.5 Some Other Types of Research -- 2.2 Dimensions of Social Research -- 2.2.1 Basic Research -- 2.2.2 Applied Research -- 2.2.3 Tools in Applied Research -- 2.2.4 Purpose of a Study -- 2.2.5 Time Dimension in Research -- 2.2.6 Longitudinal Research -- 2.2.7 Case Studies -- 2.2.8 Data Collection Technique Used -- 2.2.9 Other Dimensions of Social Research -- -- 3. Phases of Social Research -- 3.1 Formulation of the Research Problem -- 3.2 Extensive Literature Survey -- 3.3 Developing the Hypotheses -- 3.4 Preparing the Research Design -- 3.5 Determining Sample Design -- 3.5.1 Deliberate Sampling -- 3.5.2 Simple Random Sampling -- 3.5.3 Systematic Sampling -- 3.5.4 Stratified Sampling -- 3.6 Collecting the Data -- 3.6.1 By Observation -- 3.6.2 Through Personal Interview -- 3.6.3 Through Telephone Interviews -- 3.6.4 By Mailing of Questionnaires -- 3.6.5 Through Schedules -- 3.7 Execution of the Project -- 3.8 Analysis of Data -- 3.9 Hypothesis Testing -- 3.10 Generalization and Interpretation -- 3.11 Preparation of the Report or the Thesis -- -- 4. Research and Scientific Methods -- 4.1 Relationship between Theory and Research -- 4.2 Types of Theory and Research -- 4.2.1 Descriptive Theory and Descriptive Research -- 4.2.2 Relational Theories and Correlation Research -- 4.2.3 Explanatory Theory and Experimental Research -- 4.3 Decentralized Theorizing and Cumulative Knowledge -- 4.4 Paradigmatic Pragmatism -- 4.5 Mixing Metaphors to Generate Research Problems -- 4.6 Schools of Thought in Social Research -- 4.6.1 Objectivity -- 4.6.2 Positivism -- 4.6.3 Empiricism -- 4.6.4 Realism -- 4.6.5 Subjectivity -- 4.6.6 Idealism -- 4.6.7 Building Bridges -- 4.6.8 Post-modernism -- -- 5. Variables in Social Science Research -- 5.1 Types of Variables -- 5.1.1 Nature of Dependency -- 5.2 Correlation -- 5.3 Continuous (or Quantitative) Variables and Discrete (or Qualitative) Variables -- 5.3.1 Continuous or Quantitative Variables -- 5.3.2 Qualitative or Discrete Variables -- -- 6. Sampling in Research -- 6.1 Meaning and Definition -- 6.2 Essentials of Sampling -- 6.3 Technical Terms in Sampling -- 6.4 Characteristics of Good Sampling -- 6.5 Sample Design -- 6.6 Types of Sampling Methods -- 6.6.1 Probability Sampling -- 6.6.2 Non-probability Sampling -- 6.7 Sampling in Quantitative Research -- 6.8 Sampling in Qualitative Research -- 6.8.1 Purposive Sampling -- 6.8.2 Quota Sampling -- 6.8.3 Difference between Purposive and Quota Sampling -- 6.8.4 Snowball Sampling -- -- 7. Hypotheses and Levels of Measurement -- 7.1 Hypotheses in Social Sciences -- 7.1.1 Types of Research Hypotheses -- 7.1.2 Formulation of Hypotheses in Research -- 7.2 Levels of Measurement in Social Research -- 7.2.1 Importance of Levels of Measurement -- -- 8. Review of Literature in Social Research -- 8.1 Importance of Literature Review -- 8.2 Purposes of Literature Review -- 8.3 Types of Literature Review -- 8.3.1 Argumentative Review -- 8.3.2 Integrative Review -- 8.3.3 Historical Review -- 8.3.4 Methodological Review -- 8.3.5 Systematic Review -- 8.3.6 Theoretical Review -- -- 9. Quantitative and Qualitative Research -- 9.1 Quantitative Research -- 9.1.1 Different Types of Quantitative Research -- 9.1.2 Common Approaches to Quantitative Research -- 9.1.3 Advantages of Quantitative Research -- 9.1.4 When to Use Quantitative Method? -- 9.1.5 When Not to Use a Quantitative Method? -- 9.2 Qualitative Research -- 9.2.1 Features of Qualitative Research -- 9.2.2 Reasons to Use Qualitative Research -- -- 10. Research Design -- 10.1 Purposes of Research Design -- 10.2 Research Design in Quantitative Research -- 10.2.1 Features of the Quantitative Research Design -- 10.2.2 Steps in Quantitative Research Design -- 10.3 Research Design in Qualitative Research -- 10.3.1 Fixed Qualitative Designs -- 10.3.2 Flexible Qualitative Research Design -- 10.4 Four Major Types of Qualitative Research Design -- 10.4.1 Phenomenology -- 10.4.2 Ethnography -- 10.4.3 Grounded Theory -- 10.4.4 Case Study -- -- 11. Research Techniques -- 11.1 Techniques for Quantitative Research -- 11.1.1 Theoretical Background of Quantitative Research -- 11.1.2 Positivism -- 11.1.3 Central Criteria of Quantitative Research -- 11.2 Techniques for Qualitative Research -- 11.2.1 Theoretical Foundations of Qualitative Methodology -- 11.2.2 Central Elements of Qualitative Research -- -- 12. Data Collection and Analysis -- 12.1 Data Collection -- 12.1.1 Data Collection in Quantitative Research -- 12.2 Data Analysis -- 12.2.1 Tasks of Quantitative Analysis -- 12.2.2 Steps in Quantitative Data Analysis -- 12.2.3 Data Analysis in Qualitative Research -- -- 13. Experimental Research and Survey -- 13.1 Experimental Research -- 13.1.1 Aims of Experimental Research -- 13.1.2 Sampling Groups to Study -- 13.1.3 Pilot Study in Experimental Research -- 13.2 Survey Research -- 13.2.1 Types of Surveys -- -- 14. Writing a Research Report -- 14.1 Contents of a Research Report -- 14.1.1 Title Page -- 14.1.2 Table of Contents -- 14.1.3 Acknowledgments -- 14.1.4 List of Tables and Figures -- 14.2 Introduction -- 14.3 Literature Review -- 14.4 Research Methodology -- 14.4.1 Materials and Methods -- 14.4.2 Theory -- 14.4.3 Results -- 14.4.4 Results vs. Discussion Sections -- 14.5 Discussion -- 14.6 Recommendations -- 14.7 References -- 14.8 Appendices -- 14.9 Editing Your Thesis -- 14.9.1 Copy Editing -- 14.9.2 Content Editing -- 14.9.3 Avoiding Ambiguity -- 14.10 Language in Writing a Thesis -- 14.10.1 Clusters of Nouns -- 14.10.2 Adjectival Clauses -- 14.10.3 Subordinate Clauses at the Beginning -- 14.10.4 Use of Filler Verbs -- 14.10.5 Use of Passive Voice Rather than Active Voice -- 14.10.6 Use of Imprecise Words -- 14.10.7 Use of Compound Prepositions -- 14.10.8 Multiple Negatives -- 14.10.9 Unfamiliar Abbreviations and Symbols -- 14.10.10 Punctuation -- 14.10.11 Comma, Semi-colon, Colon -- 14.10.12 Full Stop or Period -- 14.11 Citing Sources in Scholarly Communication -- 14.11.1 Rules Governing in Chicago and Turabian Style -- -- 15. Problems in the Study of Social Phenomena -- 15.1 Subjectivity -- 15.1.1 Punishing Human Subject Violations: Remedies -- 15.1.2 Professional Associations -- 15.1.3 Preventing Human Subject Violations -- 15.2 Objectivity -- 15.3 Research vs. Researcher -- 15.3.1 Plagiarism -- 15.3.2 Peer Review of Research -- 15.4 Society versus Researcher -- 15.4.1 Fraud -- 15.4.2 Burt Case: Fraud or Politics -- 15.4.3 Waste -- 15.5 Public Interest vs. Private Interest -- 15.5.1 Private Interests -- 15.5.2 Public Interest -- 15.5.3 Protecting Research Integrity -- 15.5.4 Legal Remedies -- 15.5.5 Institutional Hearings.

"Research refers to scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic. Research comprises defining and redefining problems; formulating hypotheses; collecting, organizing and evaluating data; making deductions; reaching conclusions; and finally suggesting solutions. Research is, thus, an original contribution to the existing stock of knowledge making for its advancement. It is the pursuit of truth with the help of study, observation, comparison and experiment. Society is an organized group of persons associated together with shared objectives, norms and values. Social research is a systematized investigation to gain new knowledge about social phenomenon and problems. Social research helps to analyze and understand human behaviour which forms the basis for all decisions and policies. In social research, society is the laboratory and human beings are the objects. In spite of complexity of human behaviour and human relations, it is possible to find general patterns of social behaviour and thus to make reasonable predictions. This book ties together the two domains of knowledge, namely qualitative and quantitative research techniques. It is designed to invoke methodological thinking among budding scholars, faculties and researchers in social sciences."--Publisher's website.