Previous ed.: 2007.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [359]-365) and index.

Machine generated contents note: pt. I Strategies For Social Research -- What are research strategies? -- Which strategy to choose? -- Checklist for the choice of research strategy -- 1. Surveys And Sampling -- What is a survey? -- When are surveys useful? -- Types of survey -- Response rates -- Sampling -- Probability sampling techniques -- Non-probability sampling techniques -- Which sampling technique should be used? -- Size of the sample -- Advantages of surveys and sampling -- Disadvantages of surveys and sampling -- Checklist for surveys and sampling -- 2. Case Studies -- What is the case study approach? -- When is it appropriate to use a case study approach? -- What is a `case'? -- The relevance of a case study -- The selection of cases -- Can you generalize from a case study? -- Advantages of the case study approach -- Disadvantages of the case study approach -- Checklist for the case study approach -- 3. Experiments -- What is an experiment? -- Cause and effect -- The use of controls -- Observation and measurement -- Laboratory experiments -- Field experiments -- Use of control groups and `randomized controlled trials' -- When is it appropriate to conduct an experiment? -- Advantages of experiments -- Disadvantages of experiments -- Checklist for the experimental approach -- 4. Ethnography -- What is ethnography? -- The focus of ethnography -- Ethnography: description and theory -- Reflexivity: ethnographers as part of the world they seek to describe -- Putting the researcher's' self' into ethnographic research -- Access to fieldwork settings -- Advantages of ethnography -- Disadvantages of ethnography -- Checklist for enthnographic research -- 5. Phenomenology -- What is the phenomenological approach? -- Experience -- Everyday world -- Seeing things through the eyes of others -- The social construction of reality -- Multiple realities -- Description -- The Suspension of common-sense beliefs -- Members' accounts -- Types of phenomenology underlying essences or actual experiences -- Advantages of phenomenology -- Disadvantages of phenomenology -- Checklist for phenomenology -- 6. Grounded Theory -- What is the grounded theory approach? -- When is the grounded theory approach useful? -- Methods of data collection -- Initial ideas and concepts: the starting point -- Initial sites for Fieldwork -- Subsequent sites for Fieldwork: theoretical sampling -- Analysing the data -- Completing the research (theoretical saturation) -- Theories and grounded research -- Developments in grounded theory -- Advantages of the grounded theory approach -- Disadvantages of the grounded theory approach -- Checklist for the grounded theory approach -- 7. Action Research -- What is the action research approach? -- The practical nature of action research -- Change and professional self-development -- Action research as a cyclical process -- Participation in the research process -- Issues connected with the use of action research -- Advantages of action research -- Disadvantages of action research -- Checklist for action research -- 8. Mixed Methods -- What is the mixed methods approach? -- When is it appropriate to use a mixed Methods approach? -- Types of mixed methods design -- The link between the methods -- Mixed model research designs -- Pragmatism and the mixed methods approach -- Advantages of the mixed methods approach -- Disadvantages of the mixed methods approach -- Checklist for mixed methods research -- pt. II Methods Of Social Research -- Selecting methods - a matter of `horses for courses' -- 9. Questionnaires -- What is a questionnaire? -- When is it appropriate to use a questionnaire? -- What kinds of data are collected by questionnaires? -- Planning the use of questionnaires -- Internet questionnaires -- Vital elements of a research questionnaire -- The length of the questionnaire -- Devising the questions -- Types of questions -- Evaluating questionnaires -- Advantages of questionnaires -- Disadvantages of questionnaires -- Checklist for the use of questionnaires -- 10. Interviews -- What is an interview? -- When is it appropriate to use interviews? -- Types of research interview -- The interviewer effect -- Planning and preparation for interviews -- Interview skills -- Conducting the interview -- Recording the interview -- The validity of interview data: how do you know the informant is telling the truth? -- Internet interviews -- Advantages of interviews -- Disadvantages of interviews -- Checklist for the use of interviews -- 11. Observation -- What is observational research? -- Perception and observation -- Systematic observation and observation schedules -- Creating an observation schedule -- Retaining the naturalness of the setting -- Advantages of systematic observation -- Disadvantages of systematic observation -- Checklist for the use of observation schedules -- Participant observation -- What to observe, what to record -- Self, identity and participant observation -- Advantages of participant observation -- Disadvantages of participant observation -- Checklist for participant observation -- 12. Documents -- Sources of documentary data -- Access to documentary sources -- The validity of documentary data -- The credibility of articles, journals and books -- The evaluation of Internet documents and web pages -- The credibility of official statistics -- The credibility of records of meetings -- Image-based research -- The use of `created' images -- The use of `found' images -- Advantages of documentary research -- Disadvantages of documentary research -- Checklist for the use of documents (text and visual images) -- pt. III Analysis -- The aims of analysis -- Approaches to analysis: quantitative and qualitative research -- Stages of data analysis -- 13. Quantitative Data -- Sources of quantitative data -- Types of quantitative data -- Preparing quantitative data for analysis -- Grouping the data -- Describing the mid-point or average -- Describing the spread of data -- Looking for patterns and relationships in the data -- Statistical tests for association and difference -- Presenting the data - tables and charts -- Validating the data -- Advantages of quantitative analysis -- Disadvantages of quantitative analysis -- Checklist for the use of basic statistics -- 14. Qualitative Data -- The principles of qualitative data analysis -- Types of qualitative data (words and images) -- Preparing qualitative data for analysis -- Transcribing audio recordings of interviews -- Computer assisted qualitative data analysis -- Approaches to the analysis of qualitative data -- Content analysis -- Grounded theory -- Discourse analysis -- Conversation analysis -- Narrative analysis -- The analysis of image-based data -- Presenting the data -- Verifying the data -- Advantages of qualitative analysis -- Disadvantages of qualitative analysis -- Checklist for the analysis of qualitative data -- 15. Writing Up The Research -- Producing accounts of the research -- General guidelines on style and presentation -- The structure of research reports -- The research methods chapter or section -- Different audiences for research -- The Harvard referencing system -- Writing up qualitative research -- Checklist for writing up the research.

This 4th edition offers guidance for success in small scale research projects, with new sections on ethics, Internet research, phenomenology, grounded theory and image-based methods.