Surveys enjoy great ubiquity among data collection methods in social research: they are flexible in questioning techniques, in the amount of questions asked, in the topics covered, and in the various ways of interactions with respondents. Surveys are also the preferred method by many researchers in the social sciences due to their ability to provide quick profiles and results. Because they are so commonly used and fairly easy to administer, surveys are often thought to be easily thrown together. But designing an effective survey that yields reliable and valid results takes more than merely asking questions and waiting for the answers to arrive. Geared to the non-statistician, the Handbook of Survey Methodology in Social Sciences addresses issues throughout all phases of survey design and implementation. Chapters examine the major survey methods of data collection, providing expert guidelines for asking targeted questions, improving accuracy and quality of responses, while reducing sampling and non-sampling bias. Relying on the Total Survey Error theory, various issues of both sampling and non-sampling sources of error are explored and discussed. By covering all aspects of the topic, the Handbook is suited to readers taking their first steps in survey methodology, as well as to those already involved in survey design and execution, and to those currently in training. Featured in the Handbook: • The Total Survey Error: sampling and non-sampling errors. • Survey sampling techniques. • The art of question phrasing. • Techniques for increasing response rates • A question of ethics: what is allowed in survey research? • Survey design: face-to-face, phone, mail, e-mail, online, computer-assisted.? • Dealing with sensitive issues in surveys. • Demographics of respondents: implications for future survey research. • Dealing with nonresponse, and nonresponse bias The Handbook of Survey Methodology in Social Sciences offers how-to clarity for researchers in the social and behavioral sciences and related disciplines, including sociology, criminology, criminal justice, social psychology, education, public health, political science, management, and many other disciplines relying on survey methodology as one of their main data collection tools.

This book is designed to introduce doctoral and graduate students to the process of conducting scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. It is a one-stop, comprehensive, and compact source for foundational concepts in behavioral research, and can serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to research readings in any doctoral seminar or research methods class. This book is currently used as a research text at universities on six continents and will shortly be available in nine different languages.

Small-Scale Social Survey Methods is a comprehensive guide to the successful design and implementation of surveys as a research method. It covers: * finding the right group to respond to the survey * developing the right questions to ask * understanding the different types of sampling * analysing the data produced by the survey.

Social Survey Methods is a readable guide to selecting and implementing an appropriate, affordable research method. Designed for those without a formal training in statistics, it includes advice on design of survey forms, interview methods and statistical analysis of results.

The SAGE Handbook of Social Research Methods is a must for every social-science researcher. It charts the new and evolving terrain of social research methodology, covering qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods in one volume. The Handbook includes chapters on each phase of the research process: research design, methods of data collection, and the processes of analyzing and interpreting data. The volume maintains that there is much more to research than learning skills and techniques; methodology involves the fit between theory, research questions research design and analysis. The book also includes several chapters that describe historical and current directions in social research, debating crucial subjects such as qualitative versus quantitative paradigms, how to judge the credibility of types of research, and the increasingly topical issue of research ethics. The Handbook serves as an invaluable resource for approaching research with an open mind. This volume maps the field of social research methods using an approach that will prove valuable for both students and researchers.

Text accompanied by a companion web site.

Featuring a unique pedagogical framework, Social Research Methods: Sociology in Action provides all the elements required to create an active learning experience for this course. Modeled after the other volumes in SAGE′s "Sociology in Action" series, this innovative new text combines hands-on work, application, and learning-by-example. It features a diverse group of expert contributing authors who also practice active learning in their own classrooms. Each chapter discusses one aspect of conducting quantitative or qualitative research and pairs that foundational coverage with carefully-developed learning activities and thought-provoking questions that prompt students to practice and apply their new research skills. The comprehensive Activity Guide that accompanies the text will help you carry out and assess the activities that best engage your students, fit the mode of instruction you choose, and meet your course goals. In the spirit of the "Sociology in Action" theme, the text concludes with two unique chapters on how social researchers interact with their surrounding communities and help bring about social change and social justice. This title is accompanied by a complete teaching and learning package.