Using Research Instruments

Clear, accessible and practical, this guide introduces the first-time researcher to the various instruments used in social research. It assesses a broad range of research instruments - from the well-established to the innovative - enabling readers to decide which are particularly well suited to their research.
The book covers:

• questionnaires
• interviews
• content analysis
• focus groups
• observation
• researching the things people say and do.

This book is particularly suitable for work-based and undergraduate researchers in education, social policy and social work, nursing and business administration. It draws numerous examples from actual research projects, which readers can adapt for their own purposes. Written in a fresh and jargon-free style, the book assumes no prior knowledge and is firmly rooted in the authors' own extensive research experience.
Using Research Instruments is the ideal companion volume to The Researcher's Toolkit. Together they offer a superb practical introduction to conducting a social research project.

David Wilkinson is a Research Fellow within the Work-Based Learning Unit at the University of Leeds. Peter Birmingham is a Research Officer at the University of Oxford, Department of Educational Studies.