Full Description
Undergraduate students of social research methods across the social sciences.
Contents
Chapter 1Learning about the Social WorldCan Social Scientists See the Social World More Clearly?How Well Have We Done Our Research?Chapter 2: The Process and Problems of Social ResearchWhat Is the Question?What Is the Theory?What Is the Strategy?What Is the Design?But Is It Ethical?Chapter 3: Ethics in ResearchHistorical BackgroundEthical PrinciplesChapter 4: Conceptualization and MeasurementWhat Do We Have in Mind?How Will We Know When We've Found It?How Much Information Do We Really Have?Did We Measure What We Wanted to Measure?Chapter 5: SamplingHow Do We Prepare to Sample?What Sampling Method Should We Use?Chapter 6: Causation and Experimental DesignCausal ExplanationWhat Causes What?Why Experiment?What If a True Experiment Isn't Possible?What Are the Threats to Validity in Experiments?How Do Experimenters Protect Their Subjects?Chapter 7: Survey ResearchWhy Is Survey Research So Popular?How Should We Write Survey Questions?How Should Questionnaires Be Designed?What Are the Alternatives for Administering Surveys?A Comparison of Survey DesignsEthical Issues in Survey ResearchChapter 8: Elementary Quantitative Data AnalysisWhy Do Statistics?How to Prepare Data for AnalysisWhat Are the Options for Displaying Distributions?What Are the Options for Summarizing Distributions?How Can We Tell Whether Two Variables Are Related?Analyzing Data Ethically: How Not to Lie With StatisticsChapter 9: Qualitative Methods: Observing, Participating, ListeningWhat Are Qualitative Methods?How Does Participant Observation Become a Research Method? How Do You Conduct Intensive Interviews?How Do You Run Focus Groups?Analyzing Qualitative DataEthical Issues in Qualitative ResearchChapter 10: Qualitative Data AnalysisWhat Is Distinctive About Qualitative Data Analysis?What Techniques Do Qualitative Data Analysts Use?What Are Some Alternatives in Qualitative Data Analysis?Why Are Mixed Methods Helpful?How Can Computers Assist Qualitative Data Analysis?What Ethical Issues Arise in Doing Qualitative Data Analysis?Chapter 11: Unobtrusive MeasuresCreative Sources Content AnalysisHistorical MethodsComparative MethodsChapter 12: Evaluation ResearchWhat Is the History of Evaluation Research?What Is Evaluation Research?What Are the Alternatives in Evaluation Designs?What Can an Evaluation Study Focus On?Ethical Issues in Evaluation ResearchChapter 13: Reviewing, Proposing, and Reporting ResearchComparing Research DesignsReviewing ResearchProposing New ResearchReporting Research
