Research Methods in Psychology

This Third Edition of this bestselling text retains its status as one of the most accessible, practically useful and theoretically rigorous textbooks on the market today, and has been developed even further to help students get the most from their studies. The textbook is now oriented around three parts focusing on the major processed in conducting research-from formulating research questions, designing research activity, data gathering, and analysis. A rich diversity of methods is now covered, and the book offers extended coverage of qualitative methods-now fundamental in psychological methods courses.

Jonathan A. Smith is Professor of Psychology at Birkbeck University of London. His main interests lie in the application of qualitative methods in psychology. He has edited a number of books in this area. He has also developed a particular qualitative approach, interpretative phenomenological analysis, and employed it in a wide range of research projects in psychology.

Dame Glynis M. Breakwell has been a Professor of Psychology for over 20 years and is currently the Vice Chancellor of the University of Bath. Her research focuses upon identity process theory and social representations, leadership in complex organisations, and the psychology of risk management, perception and communication. She has published more than 20 books, several of which are on research methods. She is an adviser to government and private sector companies on the use of psychological methods and theories.