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.
From Theory to Empirical Research
From Theory to Empirical Research
- The ‘typical’ structure of quantitative research 57
- From theory to hypotheses 59
- From concepts to variables 64
- Units of analysis 66
- Variables 68
- Nominal, ordinal and interval variables 70
- Concepts, indicators and indexes 75
- Total error 78
- A final note: reliability and validity 81
The central topic of this chapter is operationalization – that is, the transformation of theoretical hypotheses into empirical research operations. The meaning of ‘theory’, ‘hypothesis’ and ‘concept’ are clarified. Then the notion of variable – a key theme in empirical social research – is introduced, and the various types of variable are described. Finally, the chapter addresses the general issue of errors which inevitably occur along the road from theory to empirical research.
THE ‘TYPICAL’ STRUCTURE OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Before going into the details of the ...
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