With the rapid growth of collaborative, indigenous, and community-based research, one of the key challenges researchers face is finding an effective way of involving non-researchers in the research process. Do It Yourself Social Research has been a best-selling methodology guide for action research projects and community groups in Australia for almost three decades. Always emphasizing the importance of a spirit of inquiry, it demystifies the research process, covering where to start, how to manage a research project, what methods, techniques and resources to use, and interpretation, analysis and reporting. This third edition has been thoroughly revised, adding the use of narrative and dialogue in research, rich research design, and what digital technology can (and can’t) contribute to the research process. With its hands-on, no-nonsense approach, Do It Yourself Social Research is an essential resource for community groups, college students, and other novice researchers in health, social welfare, education and related areas.
Over three decades this bestselling user-friendly introduction has been used by thousands of students, professionals and community groups to kick start their social research projects.
Seven Rules for Social Research teaches social scientists how to get the most out of their technical skills and tools, providing a resource that fully describes the strategies and concepts no researcher or student of human behavior can do without. Glenn Firebaugh provides indispensable practical guidance for anyone doing research in the social and health sciences today, whether they are undergraduate or graduate students embarking on their first major research projects or seasoned professionals seeking to incorporate new methods into their research. The rules are the basis for discussions of a broad range of issues, from choosing a research question to inferring causal relationships, and are illustrated with applications and case studies from sociology, economics, political science, and related fields. Though geared toward quantitative methods, the rules also work for qualitative research. Seven Rules for Social Research is ideal for students and researchers who want to take their technical skills to new levels of precision and insight, and for instructors who want a textbook for a second methods course. The Seven Rules There should be the possibility of surprise in social research Look for differences that make a difference, and report them. Build reality checks into your research. Replicate where possible. Compare like with like. Use panel data to study individual change and repeated cross-section data to study social change. Let method be the servant, not the master.
Challenging the formality and idealized settings of conventional methods teaching and opting instead for a real world approach to social research, this book offers frank, practical advice designed to empower students and researchers alike. Theoretically robust and with an exhaustive coverage of key methodologies and methods the title establishes the cornerstones of social research. Examples reflect research conducted inside and outside formal university settings and range from the extremes of war torn countries to the complexities of school classrooms. Supported by a wealth of learning features and tools the textbook and website include: Video top tips Podcasts Full text journal articles Interviews with researchers conducting field research Links to external websites and blogs Student exercises Real world case studies
Yoland Wadsworth’s ground-breaking proposition is that the act of inquiry is the way by which every living organism and all collective human life goes about continuously learning, improving and changing. Building in Research and Evaluation explores this new approach, a basic theory of human understanding and action. By deepening our understanding about the cyclical processes of acting, observing, questioning, feeling, reflecting, thinking, planning and acting again, Wadsworth identifies how new life might be brought to what we do, both professionally, and personally. Far from being dry academic theory, she shows how this practice-derived evaluative inquiry process can drive progress toward social justice and human betterment. This book will open new vistas of thought and new methods of inquiry for the reflective practitioner in health, human services, education, social sciences. It is the theoretical capstone of a trilogy of best-selling books by Wadsworth, which also includes Everyday Evaluation on the Run and Do-it-Yourself Social Research.
This book is designed to introduce doctoral and graduate students to the process of conducting scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. It is a one-stop, comprehensive, and compact source for foundational concepts in behavioral research, and can serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to research readings in any doctoral seminar or research methods class. This book is currently used as a research text at universities on six continents and will shortly be available in nine different languages.
This groundbreaking book brings creative writing to social research. Its innovative format includes creatively written contributions by researchers from a range of disciplines, modelling the techniques outlined by the authors. The book is user-friendly and shows readers: • how to write creatively as a social researcher; • how creative writing can help researchers to work with participants and generate data; • how researchers can use creative writing to analyse data and communicate findings. Inviting beginners and more experienced researchers to explore new ways of writing, this book introduces readers to creatively written research in a variety of formats including plays and poems, videos and comics. It not only gives social researchers permission to write creatively but also shows them how to do so.
Framing research as the process of asking and answering questions, this book demonstrates how to identify good research questions and how to structure and explore them successfully. Whether you are just beginning your research journey or are a seasoned traveller, it helps you: • Decide what you want to achieve with your research • Know what options you have to explore your goals • Navigate the nuances of different research approaches • Understand the decisions of other researchers • Choose what path best suits your project. Through real-life examples demonstrating different types of research, the book introduces qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches so you can compare different methods at every stage of the research process, from initial idea and design to data collection and analysis. This new edition includes new chapters on collecting and analysing mixed methods data, and additional content on qualitative data analysis. New examples reflect the cultural and global diversity of social research, and extra visual aids and summaries support understanding of key research concepts and stages. The book is accompanied by an online teaching guide, including videos, additional case studies, annotated articles, and critical thinking exercises.
`[Research for Development] is well-written and, at every stage, is well-documented with practical examples. The simplicity with which it is written adds to its value in that non-professional persons get well-aquainted with the research process. Every chapter in the book ends with highlighting of the main points made in that chapter... A further strength of the book is the inclusion of an appendix with a list of websites that deal with issues in the area of development research... the simplicity of its organization and message should appeal to people/researchers across disciplines' - Pakistan Development Review `Research for Development achieves the near impossible: it provides vast quantities of useful guidance for almost anyone involved in research for development regardless of the size of your research project or your role within that project' - Arvac Bulletin `Written by professional researchers, this immensely practical book provides development workers with a more research-oriented point of view, so that they can avoid mistakes in the design of programmes. It will also help them to understand people's needs and respond accordingly' - The Asian Age `It is a beautiful and comprehensive compilation giving scores of instances that prove the essentiality if carrying out a survey of a particular locality for bringing about a change there' - Rafique Jalal, DAWN This book provides a comprehensive introduction and handbook for undertaking and managing research in development. It is designed to provide both a quick reference manual and an indispensable learning tool for all students, researchers and practitioners engaged in development work. The text is divided into two parts: Managing research for development, and Doing research for development. Together the two parts review the complete research process from outlining the essential role and purpose of research, highlighting specific issues to development research, to demonstrating how to evaluate and secure the best results from subsequent research projects. The book includes: an overview of different types of research in development work; practical steps to writing a brief and managing research; practical steps to evaluating and promoting research findings; step by step guides to getting started and choosing a research method; detailed guidelines to seven key research techniques; examples, exercises, summaries and checklists; and glossary and guides to additional resources and packages Drawing on considerable hands-on experience, Research for Development will be an essential companion and invaluable tool for anyone engaged in contemporary development research, development work and development studies.
Drawing together the new techniques available to the market researcher into a single reference, The Handbook of Online and Social Media Research explores how these innovations are being used by the leaders in the field. This groundbreaking reference examines why traditional research is broken, both in theory and practice, and includes chapters on online research communities, community panels, blog mining, social networks, mobile research, e-ethnography, predictive markets, and DIY research. "This handbook fills a significant learning gap for the market research profession and Ray Poynter has once again proven that he is a guiding light. The practical and pragmatic advice contained within these pages will be relevant to new students of research, young researchers and experienced researchers that want to understand the basics of online and social media research. Ray’s views on 'how to be better with people' and ‘how to maximise response rates’ are vital clues that are likely to shape the future of market and social research." —Peter Harris, National President, Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS) "It's hard to imagine anyone better suited to covering the rapidly changing world of online research than Ray Poynter. In this book he shows us why. Whether you are new to online or a veteran interested in broadening your understanding of the full range of techniques—quant and qual—this book is for you." —Reg Baker, President and Chief Operating Officer, Market Strategies International "Finally, a comprehensive handbook for practitioners, clients, suppliers and students that includes best practices, clear explanations, advice and cautionary warnings. This should be the research benchmark for online research for some time. Poynter proves he is the online market research guru." —Cam Davis, Ph.D., former Dean and current instructor of the online market research course for the Canadian Marketing Research and Intelligence Association "Ray Poynter's comprehensive, authoritative, easy to read, and knowledgeable handbook has come to our rescue ... it is a must read for anyone who needs to engage with customers or stakeholders in a creative, immediate and flexible way that makes maximum use of all the exciting, new technology now open to us. Market researchers need to know this stuff now. I can guarantee that anyone who buys the book will find it a compelling read: they will be constantly turning to the next page in order to find yet another nugget of insight from Ray’s tour de force." —Dr David Smith, Director, DVL Smith Ltd; Professor, University of Hertfordshire, Business School
