Introduction to Social Research : Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches

by Keith F Punch

• ISBN13: 9780761944171
• ISBN10: 0761944176
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-04-23
• Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd

Summary

'This book offers an excellent description of quantitative and qualitative design and analysis taught in the context of three inquiry pathways: knowledge development, social inquiry, and social research. Furthermore, it provides an excellent overview of both quantitative and qualitative methods with regard to their different epistemologies, methods and techniques. Additionally, Punch provides (a) information guiding students in the use of computers for quantitative and qualitative analysis and (b) a wide range of illustrative examples to give the book a practical flavour.... I would not hesitate to recommend it to my undergraduate students' - Forum: Qualitative Social Research (www.qualitative-research.net)'A carefully crafted introduction to social research methodology. The author guides the reader through the research process in a comprehensive and logical way which is particularly helpful for the new researcher. A great resource for anyone involved in social research - novice or experienced' - Dr Mary Kellett, Open UniversityBuilding on the success of An Introduction to Social Research, this Second Edition has been fully revised and updated to provide a broader coverage of a range of methodological approaches for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students across the social sciences.New features include:- Wider coverage of qualitative research methods, including sections on action research and discourse analysis.- More pedagogical features such as student exercises and illustrative examples to ensure this is a practical, student-friendly guide.- More in-depth examination of the ethical issues involved in social research.A comprehensive and accessible introduction to qualitative, quantitative and mixed empirical methods, An Introduction to Social Research is an ideal starting point for all students and researchers in the social sciences.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	xi
List of Tables	xii
List of Examples	xiii
Preface to Second Edition	xiv
Preface to First Edition	xv
1 Introduction	1	(13)
1.1 Background	2	(1)
1.2 Some Simplifying Devices	3	(2)
1.3 Research Methods Training	5	(1)
1.4 Essentials and Logic	6	(2)
1.5 Science, the Social Sciences and Social Research	8	(1)
1.6 Organization of the Book	9	(2)
1.7 Suggestions for Further Reading	11	(1)
1.8 The Use of Examples	11	(1)
1.9 Review Concepts	12	(1)
Notes	12	(2)
2 Some Central Issues	14	(18)
2.1 Description versus Explanation	14	(5)
2.2 Question-Method Connections	19	(3)
2.3 Prespecified versus Unfolding: Structure in Research Questions, Design and Data	22	(5)
2.4 Some Important Terms	27	(3)
2.5 Review Concepts	30	(1)
Notes	30	(1)
Further Reading	31	(1)
3 Research Questions	32	(12)
3.1 General and Specific Research Questions	33	(2)
3.2 Developing Research Questions	35	(1)
3.3 The Role of Research Questions	36	(1)
3.4 Hypotheses	37	(2)
3.5 A Simplified Model of Research	39	(2)
3.6 The Role of the Literature	41	(1)
3.7 Review Concepts	42	(1)
Notes	43	(1)
Further Reading	43	(1)
4 From Research Questions to Data	44	(18)
4.1 The Empirical Criterion	44	(1)
4.2 Linking Concepts and Data	45	(1)
4.3 Good and Bad Research Questions	46	(1)
4.4 Value Judgments	47	(1)
4.5 Causation	48	(5)
4.6 Conceptual Frameworks	53	(1)
4.7 From Research Questions to Data	54	(4)
4.7.1 Quantitative data	55	(1)
4.7.2 Qualitative data	56	(2)
4.8 Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Data	58	(1)
4.9 Review Concepts	59	(1)
Notes	59	(1)
Further Reading	60	(2)
5 Quantitative Research Design	62	(23)
5.1 What is Research Design?	62	(3)
5.2 Some Background	65	(2)
5.3 Independent, Dependent and Control Variables	67	(1)
5.4 The Experiment	68	(3)
5.5 Quasi-Experimental and Non-Experimental Design	71	(4)
5.6 Relationships between Variables: the Correlational Survey	75	(2)
5.7 Relationships between Variables: Causation and Accounting for Variance	77	(1)
5.8 Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) as a General Design Strategy	78	(2)
5.9 Controlling Variables	80	(2)
5.10 Review Concepts	82	(1)
Notes	83	(1)
Further Reading	83	(2)
6 Collecting Quantitative Data	85	(23)
6.1 Types of Variables	85	(2)
6.2 The Process of Measurement	87	(3)
6.3 Latent Traits	90	(1)
6.4 Measuring Techniques	91	(1)
6.5 Steps in Constructing a Measuring Instrument	92	(1)
6.6 To Construct an Instrument or to Use an Existing Instrument?	93	(1)
6.7 Locating Existing Measuring Instruments	94	(1)
6.8 Reliability and Validity	95	(4)
6.8.1 Reliability	95	(2)
6.8.2 Validity	97	(2)
6.9 Developing a Survey Questionnaire	99	(1)
6.10 Collecting the Data: Administering the Measuring Instrument	100	(1)
6.11 Sampling	101	(2)
6.12 Secondary Analysis	103	(1)
6.13 Review Concepts	104	(1)
Notes	105	(1)
Further Reading	106	(2)
7 The Analysis of Quantitative Data	108	(25)
7.1 Summarizing Quantitative Data	109	(3)
7.1.1 Central tendency: the mean	110	(1)
7.1.2 Variation: standard deviation and variance	110	(1)
7.1.3 Frequency distributions	111	(1)
7.2 Relationships between Variables: Cross-Tabulations and Contingency Tables	112	(1)
7.3 Comparisons between Groups: the Analysis of Variance	113	(5)
7.3.1 Analysis of variance	113	(2)
7.3.2 Interaction	115	(2)
7.3.3 Analysis of covariance	117	(1)
7.3.4 From univariate to multivariate	117	(1)
7.4 Relationships between Variables: Correlation and Regression	118	(6)
7.4.1 Simple correlation	118	(2)
7.4.2 Multiple correlation and regression	120	(1)
7.4.3 Squared multiple correlation coefficient	121	(1)
7.4.4 Regression weights	121	(1)
7.4.5 Stepwise regression	121	(1)
7.4.6 Review: MLR as a general data analysis system	122	(2)
7.4.7 Analysis of covariance using MLR	124	(1)
7.5 The Analysis of Survey Data	124	(1)
7.6 Data Reduction: Factor Analysis	125	(2)
7.7 Statistical Inference	127	(3)
7.8 Computer Software for the Analysis of Quantitative Data	130	(1)
7.9 Review Concepts	130	(1)
Notes	131	(1)
Further Reading	132	(1)
8 Design in Qualitative Research	133	(35)
8.1 Overview	134	(8)
8.1.1 Diversity in qualitative research	134	(2)
8.1.2 Feminism	136	(2)
8.1.3 Postmodernism	138	(2)
8.1.4 Common themes within the diversity	140	(2)
8.2 Design in Qualitative Research	142	(1)
8.3 Case Studies	142	(8)
8.3.1 The general idea	144	(1)
8.3.2 Four characteristics of case studies	145	(1)
8.3.3 Case studies and generalizability	145	(3)
8.3.4 Preparing a case study	148	(2)
8.4 Ethnography	150	(4)
8.4.1 Introduction	150	(2)
8.4.2 Some main characteristics	152	(1)
8.4.3 General comments	153	(1)
8.5 Grounded Theory	154	(6)
8.5.1 What is grounded theory?	155	(1)
8.5.2 A short history of grounded theory	156	(1)
8.5.3 Theory generation versus theory verification	157	(1)
8.5.4 Data-collection/data-analysis relationships: theoretical sampling	158	(1)
8.5.5 The use of the literature in grounded theory	159	(1)
8.5.6 The place of grounded theory research	159	(1)
8.6 Action Research	160	(3)
8.7 Review Concepts	163	(1)
Notes	164	(1)
Further Reading	165	(3)
9 Collecting Qualitative Data	168	(25)
9.1 The Interview	168	(10)
9.1.1 Types of interviews	169	(3)
9.1.2 Feminist perspectives on interviewing	172	(2)
9.1.3 Practical aspects of interviewing	174	(2)
9.1.4 The analytic status of interview data: the role of language	176	(2)
9.2 Observation	178	(4)
9.2.1 Structured and unstructured approaches to observation	179	(1)
9.2.2 Practical issues in observation	180	(2)
9.3 Participant Observation	182	(2)
9.4 Documentary Data	184	(2)
9.5 Data Collection Procedures	186	(1)
9.6 Sampling in Qualitative Research	187	(2)
9.7 Review Concepts	189	(1)
Notes	190	(1)
Further Reading	190	(3)
10 The Analysis of Qualitative Data	193	(41)
10.1 Diversity in Qualitative Analysis	194	(2)
10.2 Analytic Induction	196	(1)
10.3 The Miles and Huberman Framework for Qualitative Data Analysis	197	(5)
10.3.1 Coding	199	(2)
10.3.2 Memoing	201	(1)
10.4 Abstracting and Comparing	202	(2)
10.5 Grounded Theory Analysis	204	(12)
10.5.1 Overview	205	(1)
10.5.2 Open coding	205	(4)
10.5.3 Axial (or theoretical) coding	209	(2)
10.5.4 Selective coding	211	(1)
10.5.5 Key concepts of grounded theory analysis	212	(4)
10.6 Other Approaches in Qualitative Analysis	216	(12)
10.6.1 Narratives and meaning	216	(3)
10.6.2 Ethnomethodology and conversation analysis	219	(2)
10.6.3 Discourse analysis	221	(4)
10.6.4 Semiotics	225	(1)
10.6.5 Documentary and textual analysis	226	(2)
10.7 Computers in the Analysis of Qualitative Data	228	(1)
10.8 Review Concepts	229	(1)
Notes	230	(1)
Further Reading	231	(3)
11 Mixed Methods and Evaluative Criteria	234	(25)
11.1 Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches	234	(11)
11.1.1 Similarities in the two approaches	234	(2)
11.1.2 Basic characteristics of the two approaches	236	(3)
11.1.3 Quantitative or qualitative?	239	(1)
11.1.4 Quantitative and qualitative	240	(5)
11.2 General Evaluative Criteria	245	(11)
11.2.1 Disciplined inquiry	245	(2)
11.2.2 The fit between the component parts of a research project	247	(1)
11.2.3 Criteria for evaluation	247	(9)
11.3 Review Concepts	256	(1)
Notes	257	(1)
Further Reading	258	(1)
12 Research Writing	259	(22)
12.1 Background	260	(2)
12.1.1 The quantitative tradition	260	(1)
12.1.2 Qualitative research writing	260	(1)
12.1.3 The analytical mix	261	(1)
12.2 Research Documents	262	(12)
12.2.1 Proposals	262	(6)
12.2.2 Qualitative proposals	268	(2)
12.2.3 Examples of proposals	270	(1)
12.2.4 Abstracts and titles	271	(1)
12.2.5 Dissertations (and projects)	271	(3)
12.3 Writing to Report versus Writing to Learn: Writing as Analysis	274	(1)
12.4 Writing Choices	275	(1)
12.5 Ethical Issues	276	(2)
12.6 Review Concepts	278	(1)
Notes	278	(1)
Further Reading	279	(2)
Appendix 1: Computer Software in Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis	281	(5)
Appendix 2: Drawing and Verifying Conclusions in Qualitative Analysis	286	(3)
Glossary	289	(7)
References	296	(13)
Index	309