Social Research : A Practical Introduction (Paperback)

'PART ONE: INTRODUCTION Doing data collection and analysis Origins of the approach Structure of the book Case-centric or variable-centric research Analytical induction or hypothesis-testing Some issues in research Epistemology Reliability and validity Ethical considerations Ethical issues: Risk of harm Averting/Dealing with discomfort Ethical issues: Deception Ethical issues: Debriefing Ethical issues: Where to from here? Putting the approach in context Fixed or fluid framings or research Precursors to research Developing the research topic Preparing a research proposal Recruitment of participants Conclusion Further readings References PART TWO: IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWING - THE INTERACTIVE BASE Doing data collection, analysis and presentation What is an in-depth interview? How is an in-depth interview different from a questionnaire-based interview? How is an interview different from a focus group? How is an interview different from a discussion? Origins of the approach The practicalities: What are the advantages of in-depth interviews? What are the disadvantages? Preparing and undertaking a 'typical' set of interviews Developing the research topic Ethics approval Developing the interview guide Sampling and recruitment of participants Collection of data: Beginning the interview Collection of data: During the interview Non-verbal cues and body language Collection of data: Completing the interview Debriefing Data management Transcribing Journaling Analysis of data Analytical induction Grounded theory and thematic analysis Some issues in research Interviews as data sources and data-creators Epistemological concerns and constraints Resource issues Putting the approach in context Visual techniques: Photo-elicitation and photo-voice Computer-based data analysis Conclusion Further readings References PART THREE: LIFE HISTORIES - PRIVATE TROUBLES AND PUBLIC ISSUES Doing data collection and analysis Origins of the approach Life history research cf. oral history Pointers in doing a life history Building rapport Memory and recall Analytical induction Triangulation Naturalistic and edited forms of life history Some issues in research Epistemology and claims for validity and reliability Putting the approach in context Conclusion Further readings References PART FOUR: ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH - STUDYING GROUPS IN NATURAL SETTINGS Doing data collection, analysis and presentation Origins of the approach Data collection Entering the field Observation in practice Exiting the field Data analysis and presentation Some issues in research Epistemology and claims for validity and reliability Resource limitations Putting the approach in context The impacts of new technologies on ethnography The ethics of ethnography Conclusion Further readings References PART FIVE: FOCUS GROUPS - STUDYING ARTIFICIAL GROUPS Doing data collection and analysis Exceptional focus groups Origins of the approach Data collection Some issues in research Epistemology Reliability and validity Putting the approach in context A real-life example: When focus groups go wrong Conclusion Further readings References PART SIX: SURVEY RESEARCH - STUDYING MANY CASES Doing data collection and analysis Origins of the approach Hypothesis-testing: From insights to posing questions Attributes, attitudes and behaviour Sample size and margin of error Response rates Sampling strategies Scales of measurement Statistical analysis: Hypothesis-testing and the null hypothesis Some issues in research Epistemology and scales of measurement Question formats Putting the approach in context Survey fatigue and oversampling Conclusion Further readings References PART SEVEN: EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH - IN THE LABORATORY AND BEYOND Doing data collection and analysis Origins of the approach Hypothesis-testing Variables in experiments Validity and reliability in data collection Cases in experiment