Each chapter includes Introduction and Conclusion.
I. FOUNDATIONS.
1. Doing Social Research. Alternatives to Social Research.
How Science Works.
Steps in the Research Process
Dimensions of Research
2. Theory and Research. What Is Theory?
The Parts of Theory.
The Aspects of Theory.The Three Major Approaches to Social Science
The Dynamic Duo.
3. Ethics in Social Research Why Be Ethical?
Power Relations.
Ethical Issues Involving Research Participants.
Ethics and the Scientific Community.
Ethics and the Sponsors of Research.
Politics of Research.
Value Free and Objective Research.
4. Reviewing the Scholarly Literature and Planning a Study. Literature Review.
Using the Internet for Social Research.
Qualitative and Quantitative Orientations Toward Research.
Qualitative Design Issues.
Quantitative Design Issues.
II. CONDUCTING QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH.
5. Formulating Hypotheses and Measuring Variables. Why Measure?
Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement
Parts of the Measurement Process.
Reliability and Validity.
A Guide to Quantitative Measurement.
Index Construction.
Scales.
6. Sampling Nonprobability Sampling.
Probability Sampling.
7. Survey Research. The Logic of Survey Research.
Constructing the Questionnaire.
Types of Surveys: Advantages and Disadvantages.
Interviewing.
The Ethical Survey.
8. Experimental Research Random Assignment.
Experimental Design Logic.
Internal and External Validity.
Practical Considerations.
Results of Experimental Research: Making Comparisons.
A Word on Ethics.
9. Non-Reactive Research and Secondary Analysis. Nonreactive Measurement.
Content Analysis.
Existing Statistics/Documents and Secondary Analysis.
Issues of Inference and Theory Testing
10. Analysis of Quantitative Data Dealing with Data.
Results with One Variable.
Results with Two Variables.
More Than Two Variables.
Inferential Statistics.
III. CONDUCTING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH.
11. Field Research. The Logic of Field Research.
Choosing a Site and Gaining Access.
Relations in the Field.
Observing and Collecting Data.
The Field Research Interview.
Leaving the Field.
Ethical Dilemmas of Field Research.
12. Historical-Comparative Research. The Logic of Historical Comparative Research.
Steps in a Historical-Comparative Research Project.
Data and Evidence in Historical Context.
Comparative Research.
Equivalence in Historical Comparative Research.Ethics
13. Analysis of Qualitative Data Comparing Methods of Data Analysis.
Coding and Concept Formation.
Analytic Strategies for Qualitative Data.
Other Techniques.
IV. WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT.
14. Writing a Research Report. The Research Report.
Glossary.BibliographyName IndexSubject IndexScholarly Journals in the Social Sciences in English