Research Methods at SCS

The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research presents a comprehensive overview of the field of qualitative research. It is intended for students of all levels, faculty, and researchers across the social sciences. This handbook provides a broad introduction to the field of qualitative research to those with little to no background in the subject, while simultaneously providing substantive contributions to the field that will be of interest to even the mostexperienced researchers. It serves as a user-friendly teaching tool suitable for a range of undergraduate or graduate courses, as well as individuals working on their thesis or other research projects.With a focus on methodological instruction, this volume offers both a retrospective and prospective view of the field. The first two sections explore the history of the field, ethics, and philosophical/theoretical approaches. The next three sections focus on the major methods of qualitative practiceas well as newer approaches (such as arts-based research and internet research); area studies often excluded (such as museum studies and disaster studies); and mixed methods and participatory methods (such as community-based research). The next section covers key issues including data analysis,interpretation, writing and assessment. The final section offers a commentary about politics and research and the move towards public scholarship.

There is no longer any question that qualitative inquiry is fundamental to the enterprise of social science research, with a broad reach and a history all its own. This book seeks to introduce-to reintroduce-readers to selections that provide a solid intellectual grounding in the area of qualitative research. Thoughtfully and painstakingly culled from over a thousand candidate articles by co-editors A. Michael Huberman and the late Matthew B. Miles (co-authors of the seminal Qualitative Data Analysis), The Qualitative Researcher's Companion examines the theoretical underpinnings, methodological perspectives, and empirical approaches that are crucial to the understanding and practice of qualitative inquiry. Incisive, provocative, and drawn from across the many disciplines that employ qualitative inquiry, The Qualitative Researcher's Companion is a key addition to the bookshelf of anyone involved in the research act.

Fresh, insightful and clear, this exciting textbook provides an engaging introduction to the application of qualitative methodology in the real world. Expert researchers then trace the history and philosophical underpinnings of different methodologies, explore the specific demands each places upon the researcher and robustly set out relevant issues surrounding quality and rigor. Featured methodologies include action research, discourse analysis, ethnography, grounded theory, case studies and narrative inquiry. This practical book provides a helpful guide to the research process - it introduces the relevant methods of generating, collecting and analysing data for each discrete methodology and then looks at best practice for presenting findings. This enables new researchers to compare qualitative methods and to confidently select the approach most appropriate for their own research projects. Key features include: " Summary table for each chapter - allowing quick checks to test knowledge " 'Window into' sections - real world examples showing each methodology in action " Student activities " Learning objectives " Full glossary " Annotated suggestions for further reading " Links to downloadable SAGE articles " Links to relevant websites and organizations This is an invaluable resource for students and researchers across the social sciences and a must-have guide for those embarking on a research project.

 Doing Qualitative Research Online gives students and researchers the practical and scholarly foundations needed to gain digital research literacies essential for designing and conducting studies based on qualitative data collected online. The book will take a broad view of methodologies, methods and ethics, covering: Ethical issues in research design and ethical relationships with participants Designing online qualitative studies Collecting qualitative data online through interviews, observations, participatory and arts-based research and a wide range of posts and documents. Analyzing data and reporting findings Written by a scholar-practitioner in e-learning and online academia with 15 years' experience, this book will help all those new to online research by providing a range of examples and illustrations from published research. The text and accompanying materials will offer discussion and assignment ideas for ease of adoption. 

This book tackles the challenges of how to make sense of qualitative data. It offers students and researchers a hands-on guide to the practicalities of coding, comparing data, and using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis. Lastly, Gibbs shows you how to bring it all together, so you can see the steps of qualitative analysis, understand the central place of coding, ensure analytic quality and write effectively to present your results.

For more than 40 years, SAGE has been one of the leading international publishers of works on quantitative research methods in the social sciences. This new collection provides readers with a representative sample of the best articles in quantitative methods that have appeared in SAGE journals as chosen by W. Paul Vogt, editor of other successful major reference collections such as Selecting Research Methods (2008) and Data Collection (2010). The volumes and articles are organized by theme rather than by discipline. Although there are some discipline-specific methods, most often quantitative research methods cut across disciplinary boundaries. Volume One: Fundamental Issues in Quantitative ResearchVolume Two: Measurement for Causal and Statistical InferenceVolume Three: Alternatives to Hypothesis TestingVolume Four: Complex Designs for a Complex World

This user-friendly book provides a step-by-step guide to using the five major approaches to research design: quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, arts-based, and community-based participatory research. Chapters on each approach follow a unique format--they present a template for a research proposal and explain in detail how to conceptualize and fill in every section. Terminology commonly used within each approach is identified, and key moments of ethical decision making are flagged. Interdisciplinary research examples draw on current events and social justice topics. Unique coverage includes hot topics: replication studies and data sharing, tailoring proposals to different audiences, and more. The book also includes a general introduction to social research; an in-depth, practical discussion of ethics; and a chapter on how to begin a research study, from planning a topic to developing a research question via a literature review.

This innovative book provides a fresh take on quantitative data analysis within the social sciences. It presents variable-based and case-based approaches side-by-side encouraging you to learn a range of approaches and to understand which is the most appropriate for your research. Using two multidisciplinary non-experimental datasets throughout, the book demonstrates that data analysis is really an active dialogue between ideas and evidence.  Each dataset is returned to throughout the chapters enabling you to see the role of the researcher in action; it also showcases the difference between each approach and the significance of researchers' decisions that must be made as you move through your analysis. The book is divided into four clear sections: Data and their presentation Variable-based analyses Case-based analyses Comparing and combining approaches Clear, original and written for students this book should be compulsory reading for anyone looking to conduct non-experimental quantitative data analysis.

This innovative book for students and researchers alike gives an indispensable introduction to key issues and practical methods needed for data collection.It uses clear definitions, relevant interdisciplinary examples from around the world and up-to-date suggestions for further reading to demonstrate how to gather and use qualitative, quantitative, and mixed data sets. The book is divided into seven distinct parts, encouraging researchers to combine methods of data collection:Data Collection: An Introduction to Research PracticesCollecting Qualitative Data Observation and Informed MethodsExperimental and Systematic Data CollectionSurvey Methods for Data CollectionThe Case-Study Method of Data CollectionConcluding Suggestions for Data-Collection ConceptsA stimulating, practical guide which can be read as individual concepts from the methods toolkit, or as a whole, this text is an important resource for students and research professionals.