With its unique modelling and mapping of social processes, investigative research offers an alternative approach to social research. This book guides you through the theoretical grounding and rules you need to effectively combine the evidence-based explanations of social behaviour and distinctive strategies of data collection associated with investigative research. It helps you answer key investigative questions like: • How are models and maps of social reality crucial to the formulation of research problems and questions? • What are the main phases, challenges, and theories of investigative research? • How does investigative research compare with other research approaches, like surveys, case studies, grounded theory, and mixed methods? • How can you control the quality and validity of your investigative research? With its clear focus on investigative research exploration, description, and explanation, this book gives you the solid building blocks needed to manage and integrate the theoretical and practical issues in your work.

Networks and Domains: A Research Guide

Networks and Domains: A Research Guide

In this chapter I discuss some of the practical problems and issues that arise in applying the social domains framework to the design and execution of empirical research. First, because of their relevance to many areas of research, I focus on the nature of ‘social settings’ and their relation to other domains; in particular, the central pairing of ‘settings’ and ‘situated activity’ forms a common motif of many research projects. The discussion attempts to resolve problems in identifying the empirical indicators of social settings. It suggests ways for researchers to search out the most appropriate evidence and forms of data analysis. An important feature of social settings is that they are formed around, and embody, clusters of ...

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