Social Research: The Basics

`Social Research: The Basics is a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to social research. It succeeds in bridging the gap between qualitative and quantitative approaches, and links important normative questions to empirical methods designed to find answers. This is a powerful tool for students′ - Todd Donovan, Western Washington University, co-author of The Elements of Social Scientific Thinking (8th edition)

`This is a valuable addition to the social research literature because it provides practical and detailed support to undergraduates who are conducting research for the first time′ - Tim May, University of Salford

`Purpose and technique combine in a clear, thorough and comprehensive step-by-step introduction to the NVivo qualitative software′ - Lyn Richards, Qualitative Solutions and Research Pty Ltd, Australia

For those who wish to learn about or carry out their own social research projects, Matthew David and Carole D Sutton′s excellent book provides the answer - a practical, balanced and comprehensive introduction giving equal weight to qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Social Research provides a general and integrated introduction to qualitative and quantitative research design, data collection and analysis and includes comprehensive and practical instruction (including screenshots) on the use of analysis software (SPSS v11 and QSR NVivo 2.0/N6).

The authors emphasize the application in the real world of social research, while outlining the intellectual debates which frame practical concerns. The book:

- is structured to allow the researcher to use it as a textbook or as a handbook

- builds upon detailed examples

- is accessible enough to be read by those with no prior knowledge or experience

- is comprehensive enough to allow the user to design, conduct and analyze research

- provides a complete foundation and a framework for a novice researcher to design, conduct and analyze research

- will enable the reader to reach a level of theoretical and practical understanding that will allow them to comprehend and apply otherwise inaccessible specialist texts

- has an associated website by the authors

- includes a glossary of over 300 terms

This student-friendly book covers social research at a level sufficient to successfully support the reader through a final year social science undergraduate dissertation project.

Matthew David is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Social Science at Durham University, and has undertaken research in the areas of new social movements, online data-services in higher education, online training in rural areas and forms of free online music sharing. He is author of Science in Society (Palgrave 2005) and Peer to Peer and the Music Industry (SAGE 2010), and co-author of Social Research (SAGE, latest edition 2011).