Designing Social Research : The Logic of Anticipation

by Blaikie, Norman

• ISBN13: 9780745643380
• ISBN10: 0745643388
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-11-16
• Publisher: Polity Pr

Summary

Norman Blaikie's popular and accessible text on preparing research designs and proposals for students in the social sciences has been fully revised and updated, taking in the burgeoning literature in the field.The author places particular emphasis on the formulation of research questions and the selection of appropriate research strategies to answer them. He argues that other design decisions, such as the selection of data sources and methods of data collection and analysis, must be made in the light of the particular assumptions associated with each research strategy. As well as reviewing these assumptions, the book includes:bull; a new section on the use of mixed methods; bull; additional material on the use of case studies; bull; an expanded discussion of the relationship between theory and research; and bull; annotated suggestions for further reading and detailed point summaries at the end of each chapter.The basic requirements for research designs and research proposals are laid out at the beginning of the book, followed by discussion of the major design elements, and the choices that need to be made about them. Four sample research designs at the end of the volume illustrate the application of the research strategies.Designing Social Research will continue to be an invaluable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students planning their own research. The new edition dovetails with Blaikie's Approaches to Social Enquiry and together the two books offer an innovative and comprehensive guide to research for social scientists.

Author Biography

Norman Blaikie was formerly Professor of Sociology at RMIT University Melbourne and University of Science Malaysia.

Table of Contents

Detailed Contents	p. vii
List of Figures and Tables	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Preparing Research Designs	p. 12
Designing Social Research	p. 35
Research Questions and Purposes	p. 56
Strategies for Answering Research Questions	p. 79
Concepts, Theories, Hypotheses and Models	p. 110
Sources and Selection of Data	p. 158
Methods for Answering Research Questions: Data Gathering and Analysis	p. 199
Sample Research Designs	p. 230
Postscript	p. 255
Afterword	p. 257
Appendix	p. 258
Notes	p. 262
References	p. 267
Index	p. 287
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