Social Research
A Practical Introduction
- Bruce Curtis - University of Auckland, New Zealand
- Cate Curtis - University of Waikato, New Zealand
The text provides a mixed methods approach that challenges historical divisions between quantitative and qualitative research. It adopts a multidisciplinary approach to social science research, drawing from areas such as sociology, social psychology and social anthropology.
Explicitly addressing the concerns of emergent researchers it provides both a 'how to' account of social research and an understanding of the main factors that contextualize research by discussing 'why do' social scientists work this way.
Throughout the twelve comprehensive chapters procedural (how to) accounts and contextual (why do) issues are usefully applied to major themes and substantive questions.
These key themes include:
(1) Research design
(2) The practices of research and emergent researchers: Beyond ontology, epistemology and methodology
(3) The impact of technology on research
(4) Putting the research approach in context.
A superb teaching text this book will be relished by lecturers seeking an authoritative introduction to social research and by students who want an accessible, enriching text to guide and inspire them.
Finally a Social Research textbook that provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the field, one that considers the origins of approaches and addresses epistemological and ethical contexts, and offers thoughtful discussion of and practical guidance on both quantitative and qualitative methods. This book will prove to be an invaluable resource for students and teachers and deserves to become the benchmark for texts in the field
Barry Smart
Professor of Sociology, University of Portsmouth
This book does an important job in providing an excellent methods textbook which is organized around Charles Ragin's distinction between case and variable centred methods and draws explicitly on the social realist frame of reference in presenting arguments and instruction. Those of us who teach undergraduates on research methods courses now have available a textbook which in an accessible way takes students through the repertoire of social research approaches drawing on the most innovative ways of thinking about what social research is trying to achieve
Professor David Byrne
School of Applied Social Sciences, Durham University
This is an ambitious book that delivers the goods. It provides a comprehensive overview of a wide range of the main approaches to social science research. It avoids the simplistic quantitative/qualitative divide and provides a useful way of thinking about the various research approaches. It achieves that difficult balance between a practical, how-to book and one which provides a deeper understanding of what the research approaches are doing. The breadth provided in this book will enable researchers to wisely chose between research approaches according to the nature of the problem and the understanding they seek to achieve
Professor David de Vaus
Executive Dean, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland
This book is full of useful ideas about how to conduct social research.
The section on secondary research and literature reviews is especially enlightening.
This research methods text book is particularly helpful in that it discusses the practical aspects of undertaking research and the decisions that are important when considering design and methods, but it also puts the research process into context addressing conceptual concerns and considering the origins of the research approaches. The suggested further readings with the authors’ comments, and up to date reference lists also provide a very useful resource for both students and lecturers.
This book has an excellent integration of issues of epistemology with those of research quality and the practical side of methodological strategies and very nicely situates social research in a context of the development of the discipline.
Very good practice-focused reading in the challenges and opportunities of social research from design through to close-out. Clear, accessible, and authoritative.
It provides basic knowledge in a clear and understandable way for undergraduates.
I prefer a book that only addressing qualitative methods. This one is too comprehensive and as such contains overlap with what my colleagues are teaching.
A clear and practical introductory text book on social research methods, good use of tables which summarize the key points. however, no websites for students and lecturers, no end of the chapter exercises or highlights.
A good introduction and reference for social research students. Challenges the old qualitative/quantitative distinction. Top feature: the authors sometimes express and justify disagreement with textbook knowledge.
Practical and applicable to many studies, this covers some - though importantly not the whole range - of approaches that can be taken, written in an accessible and useful form.
