Doing Urban Research (Applied Social Research Methods Series, Vol. 33)

The book′s focus on applied urban research would seem to make it particularly useful to nonacademic researchers. Because it condenses a lot of information into a limited amount of space, however, the work will benefit from use in a classroom setting, where an experienced researcher can elaborate on points made or examples used in the text, supplement its contents with material from additional sources, and guide students through the exercises suggested at the end of each chapter. --Canadian Journal of Urban Research What is the current spatial form and structure of our urban environment? How can we study the factors and forces that account for the specific structure of urban space, its social and political processes, population distribution, and land use? Addressing these and other important issues, Gregory D. Andranovich and Gerry Riposa highlight specific urban research questions and the ways in which they can be approached by offering a framework for doing urban research. Covering such topics as how to choose a research design, secondary research methods for data collection, and how to enhance research utilization, the authors demonstrate ways to pair research questions with specific analysis and national-level analysis. Students and researchers in sociology, political science, psychology, public policy, and anthropology will find this book a useful guide for planning and executing urban research.

Dr. Andranovich received his BA from the University of Virginia′s College at Wise and then went to George Mason University for his MA.  After working for Prospect Industries (a commercial roofing and waterproofing company) in northern Virginia, he attended the University of California, Riverside, where he received his PhD in political science.  He worked for the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) and COSMOS Corp. in Washington, DC, and has taught at several universities, most recently Washington State University, before coming to CSULA in 1993.  He has served as his Department′s Chairperson, and as the Faculty Director of the Students Learning in Communities program at CSULA. He teaches and advises students in the public administration program. He believes that learning is best accomplished through a variety of approaches and typically uses a combination of lecture, discussion, portfolios, and group assignments in his courses.  He regularly teaches American government, urban politics, and public policy courses.  His research interests are in urban and regional policy making, and comparative public administration.