Approaches to Social Research
Price:
$80.95 (04)Description
Thoroughly revised and updated, the fourth edition of this successful text offers a wealth of new research examples and references, accessible diagrams of essential concepts and processes, and extended coverage of core methods and recent developments. Striking a balance between specific techniques and the underlying logic of scientific inquiry, Approaches to Social Research, Fourth Edition , provides a lucid treatment of the four major approaches to research--experimentation, survey research, field research, and the use of available data. While advocating a multiple-methods strategy that treats these approaches as complementary rather than mutually exclusive, the book contains a detailed account of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.Opening chapters draw students into the subject by illustrating the practicality of the study of research methods and outlining the scientific foundations of social research. The text then follows a typical research project, beginning with research design, measurement, and sampling. It proceeds with data collection and concludes with data processing and analysis. This fourth edition includes new and revised chapters that address the role of emerging technologies and the Internet in social research. Extensively updated research examples and a clear exposition make complex issues accessible to students with no background in social research. Approaches to Social Research, Fourth Edition , is an ideal textbook for graduates and advanced undergraduates in the social sciences, and it also provides important guidance for researchers in sociology and related disciplines.
Reviews
"This is a clearly written and logically organized research methods text. Singleton and Straits tackle complex issues often ignored in other methods texts."--C. Shannon Stokes, Penn State University
"Simply stated, this is the best research methods text on the market today. It is comprehensive, coherent, and replete with timely examples and applications. Students frequently remark that this is one text they will not sell back at the end of the term, for it is also a first-rate reference."--Jeffrey L. Crane, University of Hawaii
"I have not found another text that is truly in competition with Singleton and Straits. This text is especially useful in introducing topics to individuals who are unfamiliar with research methods, while challenging those with knowledge of research methods."--Michael Turner, Northeastern University
About the Author(s)
Royce A. Singleton, Jr., Professor of Sociology, College of the Holy Cross , and Bruce C. Straits, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara
