Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner′s Guide to Doing a Research Project - Softcover

Flick, Uwe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 184920781X ISBN 13: 9781849207812

Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2011

Synopsis

In this new book, specifically written for first time researchers, Uwe Flick, author of the highly successful text Introduction to Qualitative Research, focuses on the process of producing an undergraduate research project. He gives readers the fundamental data collection and analysis skills that they need for their first project, as well as a good understanding of the research process as a whole. The book covers both quantitative and qualitative methods, and contains real life examples from the author′s own research. Topics include reading and reviewing the literature, research design, writing up and research ethics.

As well as practical research techniques, Flick provides a basic explanation of methodological issues such as epistemology, the quantitative/qualitative debate and the wider social role of research, linking these to real world issue and the actual task of researching and writing a project.

About this title

About the Author

Uwe Flick is a professor of qualitative research at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. He is a psychologist and sociologist and holds a PhD from Freie Universität Berlin. He has been professor at Alice Salomon University (Berlin) and at University of Vienna, Austria. His main research interests include qualitative methods, access to labor market for refugees and after migration, social representations of health, vulnerability, youth homelessness, and technological change in everyday life. He edited The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis (SAGE, 2014), The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Collection (SAGE, 2018), The SAGE Qualitative Research Kit (2nd ed. SAGE, 2018). He is the author of Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner’s Guide to Doing a Research Project (2nd ed., SAGE, 2015), Designing Qualitative Research (2nd ed., SAGE, 2018), Doing Grounded Theory (SAGE, 2018), Doing Triangulation and Mixed Methods (SAGE, 2018), and, most recently, of An Introduction to Qualitative Research (6th ed., SAGE, 2018).

Review

This book provides an extremely useful guide to the basics of research, such as the fundamental characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research and their associated research questions. It is written in an accessible style without the complicated use of terms and details that often shroud research methods books. It is orientated toward the beginner who may not be familiar with the language of quantitative and qualitative research and who may be an undergraduate in the social sciences. It balances nicely attention to both quantitative and qualitative research, providing legitimacy for both approaches

John W Creswell
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

What makes this guide special is the way in which it is structured and the style used for explanations and clarifications... The book enjoys the benefits of Flick′s personal research experience, but also his personal experience in teaching research methodology and supervising students′ research projects. The book is addressed to young researchers at the beginning of their career. It represents a clear overview of the main approaches used in social research. Even though research methodology specific to social sciences can be seen as overwhelming in the eyes of the beginners, this book manages to overcome this drawback and create positive orientation for readers to learn. It offers logical and clear guidance, revealing the route that any high quality research needs to follow.
Sorana Saveanu
Journal of Social Research and Policy

This book′s main strengths are its range of topics and issues, firstly it brings the reader up to date with recent research methods such as e-research, online interviewing and virtual ethnography. Secondly, it is brief enough to understand the issues and challenges in research projects, but detailed enough to help one make key decisions. Thirdly, its use of real-life examples helps to contextualise issues in conducting research projects. Fourthly, there are many references at the end of each chapter to direct the reader to further resources.
Chloe Sharp
SRA News

Edition details

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 184920781X
• ISBN 13: 9781849207812
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 296