AcknowledgmentsPreface REMOVE ALL PAGE NUMBERSand mark shaded materialWhy a 'resource for users of social research methods in applied settings?Ways of using the bookThe main steps when carrying out a projectThe audience(s) for this bookPART I SETTING THE SCENEKeeping a project diaryChapter 1 What is real world research?What is real world research?Evaluation and changeParticipation and collaborationEthical and political issuesReturning to the real worldWhy do research in the real world?Beginning the journeyChapter 2 Approaches to social researchWhat is science?Postmodernism and extreme relativist approachesThe two traditions: quantitative and qualitative social researchThe quantitative paradigmThe qualitative paradigmParadigms and research questionsA pragmatic approachMixed research designsRealism and real world researchThe purposes of researchPractical value of the theoretical material covered in the chapterPART II PLANNING: SELECTING A STRATEGYChapter 3 Developing your ideasDesign mattersDeciding on the focus of a projectSearching and reviewing the literatureResearch questionsDeveloping your research question(s)The place of theoryChapter 4 General design issuesA framework for research designGtttting a feel for design issuesChoosing a research design strategyEstablishing trustworthiness 78Chapter 5 Desk-based research 82Types of desk-based research 83Doing a literature review as a desk-based project 88The main steps when carrying out a literature review as a desk-based project 89Doing a systematic review 93Doing realist reviews 97In summary 100Chapter 6 Fixed designs 101General features of fixed designs 103Establishing trustworthiness in fixed design research 104True experiments 121123Quasi-experiments 126Single-case experiments 134Non-experimental fixed designs 139Sample size in fixed designs 144Chapter 7 Flexible designs 145General features of flexible designs 146Research traditions in qualitative research 149Case studies 150Ethnographic studies 156Grounded theory studies 161Other traditions 165Sampling in flexible designs 166Establishing trustworthiness in flexible design research 168Chapter 8 Mixed designs 174The quantitative-qualitative incompatibility thesis 175The mixed methods movement 176Types of mixed designs 177Designing and carrying out mixed desjgn research 180Pragmatism, realism or 'anything goes'? 183Dealing with discrepancies in findings 184Chapter 9 Designs for particular purposes: evaluation, action and change 187Evaluation research 187Action research 199Intervention and change 203Researchers and practitioners 204Chapter 10 Ethical and political considerations 205IntroductionEthical codes and guidelines 208Ethical issues 209Researcher safety and risk 220Working with vulnerable groups 222General ethical responsibilities 229Ethical review boards and committees 231Politics and real world research 235Sexism, racism and social research 239PART III TACTICS: THE METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION 241Selecting the method(s) 241Chapter 11 Surveys and questionnaires 243Designing surveys 245Carrying out a sample survey 256Designing and using a questionnaire 258Diaries 273Sampling in surveys - and elsewhere 276Probability samples 277Non-probability samples 279Chapter 12 Interviews and focus groups 284Types and styles of interviewsAdvantages and disadvantages of interviewsGeneral advice for interviewers 287Content of the interview 288Carrying out different types of interview 290Focus groups 298Dealing with interview data 305Skills in interviewing 306Chapter 13 Tests and scales 307Measurement scales 307Other scaling techniques 315Using existing tests and scales 316Developing your own test 317Chapter 14 Observational methods 319Observation in real world research 321Approaches to observation 322Participant observation 323Getting started as a participant observer 327Structured observation 332Deciding on a coding scheme 335The use of existing coding schemes 335Developing your own scheme 337338Reliability and structured observation 343Chapter 15 Additional methods of data collection 346Unobtrusive measures 347Content analysis of documents 349Secondary data analysis 359Introduction to a range of more specialist techniques 361Internet-based research 377Feminist research methodsMultiple methods 383Chapter 16 Writing a project proposal 385How to recognize a good proposal 386The content of a research proposal 387The problem of pre-specifying flexible design studies 391Shortcomings of unsuccessful proposals 391Sources of funding 392PART IV CARRYING OUT THE PROJECT 395Arranging the practicalities 395PART V DEALING WITH THE DATACollecting the dataAnalysing and interpreting dataRealist analysis and interpretationPreparing for analysisAnalysis or interpretation?Quantitative and qualitative data - and their integrationin mixed designsChapter 17 The analysis and interpretation of quantitative dataCreating a data setStarting data analysisExploring the data setExploring relationships between two variablesExploring relationships among three or more variablesAnalysing differencesQuantitative analysis and different fixed design research strategiesThe 'New Statistics'Chapter 18 The analysis and interpretation of qualitative dataTypes of qualitative analysisUsing the computer for qualitative data analysisDealing with the quantity of qualitative dataThematic coding analysisData analysis in grounded theory studiesAlternative approaches to qualitative analysisIntegrating qualitative and quantitative data in mixed designsChapter 19 Reporting, disseminating and moving forwardReporting what you have foundEthics and reportingReporting fixed design researchThe scientific journal formatReporting flexible design studiesReporting on mixed design studiesReporting on case studiesReporting on literature reviewsWriting for non-academic audiences - the technical reportAlternative forms of presentationWriting skillsWhere next?Appendix A: Using specialist software for quantitative analysisAppendix B: Using specialist software for qualitative analysisReferences and author index Visit the website to viewthe References and Author Index, www.wiley.com/college/robsonCHECKSubject Index
Colin Robson is Emeritus Professor, School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, UK. He is the former Chief Consultant of the Education of Children with Difficulties, Disabilities and Disadvantages project at the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, Paris, France. Professor Robson is the author of several books including Experiment, Design and Statistics in Psychology and Small-Scale Evaluation: Principles and Practice.
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