Approaches to Social Research (Fourth Edition)

Thoroughly revised and updated, the fourth edition of this successful text offers a wealth of new research examples and references, accessible diagrams of essential concepts and processes, and extended coverage of core methods and recent developments. Striking a balance between specific techniques and the underlying logic of scientific inquiry, Approaches to Social Research, Fourth Edition, provides a lucid treatment of the four major approaches to research--experimentation, survey research, field research, and the use of available data. While advocating a multiple-methods strategy that treats these approaches as complementary rather than mutually exclusive, the book contains a detailed account of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
Opening chapters draw students into the subject by illustrating the practicality of the study of research methods and outlining the scientific foundations of social research. The text then follows a typical research project, beginning with research design, measurement, and sampling. It proceeds with data collection and concludes with data processing and analysis. This fourth edition includes new and revised chapters that address the role of emerging technologies and the Internet in social research. Extensively updated research examples and a clear exposition make complex issues accessible to students with no background in social research. Approaches to Social Research, Fourth Edition, is an ideal textbook for graduates and advanced undergraduates in the social sciences, and it also provides important guidance for researchers in sociology and related disciplines.

Royce A. Singleton is at College of the Holy Cross. Bruce C. Straits is at University of California, Santa Barbara.