The practice of social research

Description

Cover A Note from the Author Dedication Contents in Brief Contens in Detail Boxed Features Preface Acknowledgments A Letter to Students from This Book Chapter 1: Human Inquiry and Science Introduction What do you think? Looking for Reality The Foundations of Social Science Some Dialectics of Social Research What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 2: Paradigms, Theory, and Research Introduction What do you think? Some Social Science Paradigms Elements of Social Theory Two Logical Systems Revisited Deductive Theory Construction Inductive Theory Construction The Links between Theory and Research The Importance of Theory in the “Real World” Research Ethics and Theory What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 3: The Ethics and Politics of Social Research Introduction What do you think? Ethical Issues in Social Research Two Ethical Controversies The Politics of Social Research What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 4: Research Design Introduction What do you think? Three Purposes of Research Idiographic Explanation The Logic of Nomothetic Explanation Necessary and Sufficient Causes Units of Analysis The Time Dimension Mixed Modes How to Design a Research Project The Research Proposal What do you think?...Revisited The Ethics of Research Design Chapter 5: Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement Introduction Measuring Anything That Exists What do you think? Conceptualization Definitions in Descriptive and Explanatory Studies Operationalization Choices Criteria of Measurement Quality What do you think?...Revisited The Ethics of Measurement Chapter 6: Index, Scales, and Typologies Introduction What do you think? Indexes versus Scales Index Construction Scale Construction Typologies What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 7: The Logic of Sampling Introduction What do you think? A Brief History of Sampling Nonprobability Sampling The Logic and Techniques of Probability Sampling Populations and Sampling Frames Types of Sampling Designs Multistage Cluster Sampling Probability Sampling in Review The Ethics of Sampling What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 8: Experiments Introduction Topics Appropriate for Experiments What do you think? The Classical Experiment Selecting Subjects Variations on Experimental Design Examples of Experimentation Web-Based Experiments “Natural” Experiments Strengths and Weaknesses of the Experimental Method Ethics and Experiments What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 9: Survey Research Introduction Topics Appropriate for Survey Research What do you think? Guidelines for Asking Questions Questionnaire Construction Self-Administered Questionnaires Interview Surveys Telephone Surveys Online Surveys Mixed-Mode Surveys Comparison of the Different Survey Methods Strengths and Weaknesses of Survey Research Secondary Analysis What do you think?...Revisited Ethics and Survey Research Chapter 10: Qualitative Field Research Introduction What do you think? Topics Appropriate for Field Research Special Considerations in Qualitative Field Research Some Qualitative Field Research Paradigms Conducting Qualitative Field Research Strengths and Weaknesses of Qualitative Field Research Ethics in Qualitative Field Research What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 11: Unobtrusive Research Introduction What do you think? Content Analysis Analyzing Existing Statistics Comparative and Historical Research Unobtrusive Online Research Ethics and Unobtrusive Measures What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 12: Evaluation Research Introduction What do you think? Topics Appropriate for Evaluation Research Formulating the Problem: Issues of Measurement Types of Evaluation Research Designs Social Indicators Research Ethics and Evaluation Research What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 13: Qualitative Data Analysis Introduction Linking Theory and Analysis What do you think? Qualitative Data Processing Computer Programs for Qualitative Data The Qualitative Analysis of Quantitative Data Evaluating the Quality of Qualitative Research Ethics and Qualitative Data Analysis What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 14: Quantitative Data Analysis Introduction Quantification of Data What do you think? Univariate Analysis Subgroup Comparisons Bivariate Analysis Introduction to Multivariate Analysis Sociological Diagnostics Ethics and Quantitative Data Analysis What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 15: The Logic of Multivariate Analysis Introduction What do you think? The Origins of the Elaboration Model The Elaboration Paradigm Elaboration and Ex Post Facto Hypothesizing What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 16: Social Statistics Introduction Descriptive Statistics What do you think? Inferential Statistics Other Multivariate Techniques What do you think?...Revisited Chapter 17: Reading and Writing Social Research Introduction Reading Social Research What do you think? Writing Social Research The Ethics of Reading and Writing Social Research What do you think?...Revisited Appendixe A: Using the Library Appendixe B: Random Numbers Appendixe C: Distribution of Chi Square Appendixe D: Normal Curve Areas Appendixe E: Estimated Sampling Error Glossary Bibliography Index