Researching Social Life

Internationally-renowned experts in the field have thoroughly expanded and updated this edition with new chapters and additional material on: mixed methods, participative action research, virtual methods, grounded theory, narrative analysis, searching for and reviewing literature, and refining the research question.

Worked examples, case studies, discussion questions, project ideas and checklists are included throughout the book to help those new to research to engage with the material.

Researching Social Life follows the `life cycle′ of a typical research project, from initial conception through to eventual publication. Its breadth and depth of coverage make this an indispensable companion for students on social research methods courses in any discipline.

Nigel Gilbert is Professor of Sociology at the University of Surrey, Guildford, England. He is the author or editor of 34 books and many academic papers and was the founding editor of the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation. His current research focuses on the application of agent-based models to understanding social and economic phenomena, especially the emergence of norms, culture, and innovation. He obtained a doctorate in the sociology of scientific knowledge in 1974 from the University of Cambridge and has subsequently taught at the universities of York and Surrey in England. He is one of the pioneers in the field of social simulation and is past president of the European Social Simulation Association. He is a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences and of the Royal Academy of Engineering.