Summary
Contents
Subject index
‘This is an impressively detailed, clearly written book.. It is a book that I would like students to read’ - Clive Seale, Goldsmiths College, London. Social Research: Theory, Methods and Techniques presents an understanding of social research practice through appreciation of its foundations and methods. Stretching from the philosophy of science to detailed descriptions of both qualitative and quantitative techniques, it illustrates not only ‘how’ to do social research, but also ‘why’ particular techniques are used today. The book is divided into three parts: Part One: Illustrates the two basic paradigms - quantitative and qualitative - of social research, describing their origins in philosophical thought and outlining their current interpretations. Part Two: Devoted to quantitative research, and discusses the relationship between theory and research practice. It also presents a discussion of key quantitative research techniques. Part Three: Examines qualitative research. Topics range from classical qualitative techniques such as participant observation, to more recent developments such as ethnomethodological studies. Overall, the author offers an engaging contribution to the field of social research and this book is a reminder of the solid foundations upon which most social research is conducted today. As a consequence it will be required reading for students throughout the social sciences, and at various levels.
Quantitative Techniques
In the six chapters that follow, we will leave behind more general methodological considerations in order to deal with the specific techniques of research, beginning with the quantitative approach. In reality, the first of these chapters, which looks at how theory is transformed into empirical research, discusses issues that are still very general in nature. These issues fit into a context that could be defined as pre-technical and which is not limited to quantitative research. However, there are two reasons for dealing with this subject within the sphere of the quantitative approach.
First of all, in qualitative research there is no equivalent of the operationalization of concepts, a notion which, in quantitative research, lies at the core of the transformation of theoretical hypotheses ...
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