Social research / S. Sarantakos.

Previous edition: 2005.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: pt. I Foundations Of Social Research -- 1. Introduction -- Introduction -- 1. Historical overview -- 2. state of contemporary research -- 3. Politics and the production of knowledge -- 4. Ethics in social research -- 5. Identity and power in research -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- Online resources -- 2. Varieties of social research -- Introduction -- 1. bases of the methodological distinction -- 2. Quantitative methodology -- 3. Qualitative methodology -- 4. Mixed-method research -- 5. Internet research -- 6. Critical research -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- 3. Feminist research -- Introduction -- 1. nature of feminist research -- 2. Principles of feminist research -- 3. Feminist epistemology and methodology -- 4. Feminist research positions -- 5. Feminist research methods -- 6. Feminist critique of conventional research -- 7. Feminist mixed-method research -- 8. Concluding remarks -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- Online resources -- 4. Principles of social research -- Introduction -- 1. Measurement -- 2. Replication -- 3. Scales and indexes -- 4. Validity -- 5. Reliability -- 6. Objectivity -- 7. Representativeness -- 8. Generalizability -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- pt. II Research Planning -- 5. Research Design -- Introduction -- 1. research process -- 2. Design and execution of research -- 3. Research design in quantitative research -- 4. Research design in qualitative research -- 5. Research design in critical research -- 6. Examples of research design -- 7. Designing your project -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- 6. Initiating Social Research -- Introduction -- 1. Selection of the research question -- 2. Selection of the research methodology -- 3. Methodological construction of the research topic -- 4. Definition of the topic -- 5. Exploration -- 6. Operationalization -- 7. Multiple operationalism: Triangulation -- 8. Formulation of hypotheses -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- Online resources -- 7. Sampling Procedures -- Introduction -- 1. Reasons for sampling -- 2. Principles of sampling -- 3. Types of sampling -- 4. Non-probability sampling -- 5. Sampling procedures in qualitative research -- 6. Sample size -- 7. Internet sampling -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- Online resources -- pt. III Methods Of Data Collection -- 8. Multiple-Sample Research -- Introduction -- 1. Experiments -- 2. Panel studies -- 3. Focus groups -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- 9. Field Research -- Introduction -- 1. Field research -- 2. Ethnographic research -- 3. Case studies -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- 10. Observation -- Introduction -- 1. Types of observation -- 2. process of observation -- 3. Participant observation -- 4. Physical observation -- 5. Ethical issues -- 6. Strengths and weaknesses of observation -- 7. Preventing errors in observation -- 8. To sum up -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- 11. Questionnaires -- Introduction -- 1. Questionnaire structure -- 2. questionnaire format -- 3. Questionnaire size -- 4. Types of questions -- 5. Open-ended and pre-coded questions -- 6. Response format -- 7. Question content -- 8. Rules for questionnaire construction -- 9. Steps in questionnaire construction -- 10. Pre-tests and pilot studies -- 11. Reviewing the questionnaire -- 12. Relevance of the questionnaire -- 13. Non-response in mail questionnaires -- 14. Questionnaires in feminist research -- 15. Strengths and weaknesses of questionnaires -- 16. Questionnaires in the computer age -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- 12. Interviews -- Introduction -- 1. Types of interviews -- 2. Interviews in qualitative research -- 3. Interviews in feminist research -- 4. interviewer -- 5. process of interviewing -- 6. Interviewer-respondent relationship -- 7. Prompting and probing -- 8. Narrative interview (NI) -- 9. Intensive interviewing -- 10. Telephone interviewing -- 11. interview context -- 12. Advantages and limitations of interviewing -- 13. Problems and errors in interviewing -- 14. Non-response in interviewing -- 15. Interviewing in the computer age -- 16. Survey methods in comparison -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- 13. Study of Documents -- Introduction -- 1. Document studies -- 2. Meta-synthesis -- 3. Content analysis -- 4. Text and language -- 5. Conversation analysis -- 6. Discourse analysis -- 7. hermeneutic approach -- 8. Postmodernism -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- 14. Applied Research -- Introduction -- 1. Evaluation research -- 2. Needs assessment -- 3. Action research -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- pt. IV Data Analysis -- 15. Qualitative Analysis -- Introduction -- 1. timing of qualitative analysis -- 2. Varieties of qualitative procedures -- 3. Grounded theory -- 4. Analytic induction -- 5. Construction and deconstruction -- 6. Qualitative mixed-method analysis -- 7. Data analysis in narrative interviews -- 8. Data presentation in qualitative research -- 9. Computer-aided data analysis (CAQDA) -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- Online resources -- 16. Quantitative Analysis -- Introduction -- 1. Steps of data analysis -- 2. Presentation of grouped data -- 3. Statistical processing -- 4. Associations -- 5. Tests of significance -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading -- pt. V Publication -- 17. Reporting -- Introduction -- 1. context of reporting -- 2. Structure and content -- 3. report in quantitative research -- 4. report in qualitative research -- 5. report in multiple-paradigm research -- 6. Presentation -- 7. Self-assessment -- 8. fate of the report -- Main points -- Where to from here? -- Further reading.

Social research is about discovery, it allows us to expand the horizons of the known, delve into new ideas and develop new conclusions about all aspects of life. But in order to carry out our own research, or to confidently interpret others' work, we need to understand some basic practicalities and theories of research.

This 4th edition of Social Research provides students with comprehensive explanation of a wide-range of methods, the philosophies that underpin them and the debates that surround them. It follows a logical structure that shows how research progresses from one stage to the next, how decisions are made, how options are chosen and how conclusions are drawn. In particular, this student-friendly text --Book Jacket.

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