Featuring a conversational, engaging, and student-friendly writing style, The Process of Social Research, Third Edition, introduces students to the fundamentals of research. It places a unique emphasis on process with flowcharts in every chapter that provide step-by-step guides for conducting social research and evaluating the research of others. The authors use relatable, everyday examples and carefully selected research examples to make the book accessible to undergraduates. Comprehensive and up-to-date without attempting to be encyclopedic in its coverage, The Process of Social Research provides a balance between qualitative and quantitative research, taking a more integrated approach to describing the relationship between theory and research.
"The Process of Social Research is one of the most approachable, student-centered social research methods texts that I have found. The authors' ability to connect with an undergraduate audience through relevant examples while maintaining the level of scholarship needed for a course like this is commendable." - Jessica Grosholz, University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee
"The Process of Social Research not only adopts quantitative and qualitative approaches equally, but lets the students know how important dual methodology is. The authors do an excellent job at explaining the concepts and demonstrating how they apply to real-life research studies. Students will actually want to engage with this material!" - Sarah Hahn, Mercy College
"The Process of Social Research is very comprehensive. The explanations and examples used in the chapters are very useful and drive home the message of the concept being explained. This is one of the best research methods text that I have read."--Aramide Kazeem, University of West Georgia
"The Process of Social Research is very informative, well-written, and thorough. I like how the authors use examples of current research, as it helps to connect ideas to real research."--David Morris, College of Charleston
Revised and updated in its sixth edition, Approaches to Social Research is a rigorous yet clear and engaging introduction to research methods. Covering all of the fundamentals in a straightforward, student-friendly manner, it is ideal for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses across the social sciences and also serves as an indispensable guide for researchers. Striking a balance between specific techniques and the underlying logic of scientific inquiry, this book provides a lucid treatment of the four major approaches to research: experimentation, survey research, field research, and the use of available data. Richly developed examples of empirical research and an emphasis on the research process enable students to better understand the real-world application of research methods. The authors also offer a unique chapter (13) advocating a multiple-methods strategy.
A collection of 20 studies, carefully chosen to represent a broad range of approaches and methods of contemporary social research.
Selected journal articles and book excerpts illustrate the relationship between theory and research, the ethical and political dimensions of research, methods of selecting cases and measuring concepts, and various ways of gathering and analyzing data. Organized in 10 units, each unit introduces the methodological topic, provides Web resources related to the topic, presents two reading selections, and then poses questions to assess students' understanding of the researchers' methodology.
Focusing on issues of race/ethnicity, gender, class, and crime and deviance, the readings expose students to substantive topics fundamental to, and at the forefront of, the social sciences. In addition, the readings provide examples of both qualitative and quantitative social research; are rigorous applications of methodological concepts; and are abridged carefully to make them accessible to students.