Summary
Contents
Subject index
Research design is of critical importance in social research, despite its relative neglect in many methods resources. Early consideration of design in relation to research questions leads to the elimination or diminution of threats to eventual research claims, by encouraging internal validity and substantially reducing the number of alternative explanations for any finite number of research ‘observations’. This new book: discusses the nature of design; gives an introduction to design notation; offers a flexible approach to new designs; looks at a range of standard design models; and presents craft tips for real-life problems and compromises. Most importantly, it provides the rationale for preferring one design over another within any given context. Each section is illustrated with case studies of real work and concludes with suggested readings and topics for discussion in seminars and workshops, making it an ideal textbook for postgraduate research methods courses. Based on the author's teaching on the ESRC Doctoral Training Centre “Masters in Research Methods” at the University of Birmingham, and his ongoing work for the ESRC Researcher Development Initiative, this is an essential text for postgraduate researchers and academics. There is no book like Research Design on the market that addresses all of these issues in an easy to comprehend style, for those who want to design research and make critical judgements about the designs of others.
Identifying Researchable Questions
Identifying Researchable Questions
Summary
- Research questions and designs are clearly related, and the merits of any design are judged in terms of the questions it can help to answer.
- Questions arise from a variety of sources, sometimes set down by external agencies and sometimes stemming from deep personal interest.
- The formulation of questions can be assisted by reviewing the relevant literature, re-analysing existing data, and consideration of theory.
- Literature searches must be systematic and comprehensive, to minimise bias.
- Literature can help determine what needs to be done in order to move a field of research forward.
- Secondary data can establish a pattern, trend or issue to be investigated in more depth. It helps to avoid investigating something that does not exist!
- Theory can generate predictions to be tested by further ...
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