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Doing Research
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Doing Research
Methods of Inquiry for Conflict Analysis

First Edition
May 2005 | 408 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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Doing Research: Methods of Inquiry for Conflict Analysis is the first research methods text devoted to conflict analysis and resolution. It begins with a discussion of the philosophical foundations for doing research, providing guidelines on how to develop research questions and how these questions can be addressed with various methodologies. The book presents a wide-ranging treatment of both quantitative and qualitative approaches to the design and analysis of problems of conflict.

The approaches covered include experiments, simulations and models, surveys, single and comparative case studies, ethnographies, content analysis, narrative analysis, evaluation research, action research, and research consulting. These approaches come alive in a variety of applications culled from the published literature. A concluding chapter provides an integration of the various methodologies, including their complementary strengths. Throughout the book, author Daniel Druckman illustrates the value of a multi-method approach to doing research on conflict analysis and more generally across the social sciences.

 
Preface
 
Prologue
 
Doing Research on Conflict
 
Part Introduction
 
Why Do Research?
Research Foundations: Debating Points

 
Research Motivations, Assumptions, Questions

 
Some Contributions from Research on Conflict

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Getting Started to Do Research
Where Ideas Come From

 
Choosing a Research Topic

 
Alternative Methodological Approaches

 
Choosing an Approach

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Performing Experiments
 
Part Introduction
 
Designing Experiments and Conducting Simulations
The Experimental Method: An Overview

 
Internal and External Validity

 
Experimental Designs: Examples from CA&R

 
Summary

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Evaluating Data from Experiments: Methods of Analysis
Essential Ideas of Statistical Analysis

 
Measurement and Statistical Power: Two-Group Designs

 
Measurement and Power: Three-Group Designs

 
Factorial Designs

 
Repeated Measures and Other ANOVA Designs

 
Summary

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Designing and Conducting Surveys
 
Part Introduction
 
Survey Research
Overview

 
Survey Research Design

 
Measurement

 
Sampling

 
Data Collection

 
Ethics

 
Conclusions

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Doing Case-Based Research
 
The Case-Study Method: An Overview
 
Enhanced-Case and Time Series Analyses
Theory and the Case Study

 
Time-Series Designs and Analyses

 
Systematic Expert Judgment

 
Qualitative Time-Series Analysis

 
Summary

 
 
Comparative Case Study Approaches
Focussed Case Comparisons

 
Aggregate Case Comparisons

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Writing Ethnographies
 
Part Introduction
 
Ethnographic Methods
What is Ethnography?

 
Why do Ethnography?

 
The Logic of Ethnography

 
Making Sense of Other Worlds

 
Taking Notes

 
The Ethnographer's Tool Kit

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Analyzing Documents: Texts and Process Analysis
 
Part Introduction
 
Content Analysis
Overview of the Approach

 
Technical Issues for the Content Analyst

 
Content Analysis Applications

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Narrative Analysis
Overview of the Approach

 
Narrative Theory

 
Analysis of Narratives

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Evaluating Interventions and Applying Research
 
Part Introduction
 
Evaluation Research
Challenges of Evaluation

 
Tasks in an Evaluation Project

 
Evaluation Issues

 
Evaluating Interventions: An Example of a Framework

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Research for Action and Consulting
Basic and Applied Research

 
Action Research

 
Research Consulting

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Concluding
 
Part Introduction
 
From Philosophies to Research Methods: The Value of Doing Research in Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Doing Research: Philosophies and Methodologies

 
Research Issues

 
Summary of Methods Covered

 
Comparing the Methodologies: Experiments, Surveys, and Case Studies

 
Types of Data

 
Wrapping Up

 
 
Epilogue
 
References

Doing Research is a gem. It provides multiple research methods and models focusing on conflict analysis and resolution that can be used by any student in a variety of social science disciplines or fields of study. I wish this book had been written 20 years ago.

Brian Polkinghorn
Salisbury State University

Doing Research is the most widely acclaimed book on research methods for conflict resolution students to appear in recent years. The book makes a unique contribution to the conflict resolution field by providing a comprehensive overview of the cutting edge methodological approaches in the field. The book provides a wonderfully rich array of ideas about ways to do research for both the scholar and practitioner--pracademic--enriching the analysis and practice in the conflict resolution field. The author of a diverse intellectual background and experiences bases his contribution to the course on conflict analysis and resolution theory, and empirical evidence experience. He makes a highly valuable contribution to applying multi-methods to concrete examples from the conflict resolution field.

Sean Byrne
University of Manitoba

"Provides a valuable tool to those dealing with conflict analysis in a variety of disciplines and professions. The first of its kind, this book is expecially suited to conflict studies because Druckman demonstrates the value of multi-methods approches as a research program in a context 'moving vertically form small to large studies and moving horizontally from simulations to case studes'...Doing Research highlights just such complementarity and provides a 'foundation for the way methodologies can be used for social science research'."

Social Justice: Anthropology, Peace and Human Rights
Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University

this book is both thought provoking and practical as far as the research agenda is concerned

Mr Emmanuel Asante
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Nottingham University
March 11, 2016
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This book provides a comprehensive insight on the key elements of social research. Its content is significantly aligned to the instructional parameters of the course.

Mr Andrew Hicks
Faculty of Social Sciences/Department of Sociology, University of Guyana
February 1, 2015
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Great material for the field of conflict resolution

Dr VITUS OZOKE
conflict analysis, Salisbury University
January 19, 2011
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