Combining anecdotal accounts, inter-professional experiences, critical debate and practical pointers to being a good observer, this book explores issues surrounding observation in social science-orientated research.

The Practice of Qualitative Research provides students with a "hands-on" introduction to qualitative research methods through the use of in-depth examples and out-of-class exercises. Rather than separating theory from methods and presenting students with a laundry list of methods as so many texts do, authors Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber and Patricia Leavy provide readers with a holistic approach to research by tightly linking theory and methods throughout the book. The authors cover all the key mainstream qualitative methods, as well as a number of more unconventional ones such as oral history, visual and unobtrusive methods, and present an overview of mixed-methods approaches. As part of their discussion of the ethical issues underpinning all social research, the authors raise important issues concerning the problems and prospects novice researchers confront in researching human subjects. The Practice of Qualitative Research is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying qualitative research in the social sciences-especially Sociology, Women's Studies, Psychology, Anthropology, and Communications. The book presents a feminist research perspective and follows the interpretivist approach to qualitative methods, making it is an invaluable text for any course in which these are core components. The candid wisdom and tips from leading researchers will help students with the day-to-day process of completing a successful research project. Book jacket.

This book expertly guides the reader through all stages involved in undertaking quantitative psychological research, from accessing the relevant literature, through designing and conducting a study, analysing and interpreting data, and finally reporting the research. This third edition includes two new chapters - on preliminary checking of data and allowing for additional variables when comparing the means of different conditions - and expands on original topics such as choosing sample sizes and how to test for mediation effects. It also contains increased coverage of tests and further detail of techniques and terms which psychologists will meet when working with those in the medical professions. As the chapters focus on choosing appropriate statistical tests and how to interpret and report them (rather than the detailed calculations, which appear in appendices), the reader is able to gain an understanding of a test without being interrupted by the need to understand the complex mathematics behind it. In addition, for the first time, the book is accompanied by an online bank of multiple choice questions. The book helps readers to: Locate reports of relevant existing research Design research while adhering to ethical principles Identify various methods which can be used to ask questions or observe behaviour Choose appropriate samples Display and analyse findings numerically and graphically to test hypotheses Report psychological research in a variety of ways. As such, the book is suitable for psychology students and professionals at all levels, and is particularly useful to those working in Health and Clinical Psychology.

The Second Edition of Qualitative Communication Research Methods takes readers through every step of the qualitative research process -- from the research idea to the finished report. Unique for its coverage of the entire discipline of Communication, this text now includes a new chapter on computer-mediated communication (identities, relationships, and communities) as well as fully updated and expanded key topics including: developing research questions, coding data, using computers in analysis, and transcription. Processes covered in the text include interviewing, writing field notes, and creating ethical relationships with participants. Qualitative Communication Research Methods, Second Edition, provides students with numerous examples of work in the field illustrating how studies are designed, carried out, written, evaluated, and applied to theory. This interesting and accessible text provides a rewarding and challenging introduction to qualitative methodology.

This timely and topical look at the role of ethics in fieldwork takes into account some of the major issues confronting qualitative researchers. The main purposes of this book are twofold: to promote an understanding of the harmful possibilities of fieldwork; and to provide ways of dealing with ethical problems and dilemmas. To these ends, examples of actual fieldwork are provided that address ethical problems and dilemmas, and posit ways of dealing with them.

This book explores rationales for research methodologies embedded in African contexts. Issues discussed include: contexts for adult education research in Africa; philosophical and theoretical foundations of inquiry; philosophical perspectives and their implications for research; doing a literature review; getting started with a research proposal; quantitative research designs and carrying out surveys; summarising and analysing survey data; the nature of qualitative research; carrying out qualitative studies; combining qualitative and quantitative methods; research ethics; action research; feminist research approaches; and writing up and disseminating research.

The quality and productivity of a research work very much depends on the competency of the researchers. Such competency needs to be generated and nurtured properly among the researchers from the very beginning of their research career. This comprehensive book on research methodology discusses in detail how to carry out research studies in various disciplines of behavioural sciences in an organized manner. The book is meant for the postgraduate students of Education (M.Ed.), Sociology, Psychology and Management. In addition, it will also be useful to research scholars in learning the art of doing qualitative and quantitative research studies in behavioural sciences. Key Features Systematic and logical organization of the subject matter providing step-by-step description of the research methodology for conducting research studies. Extensively illustrated with working examples, diagrams and tables. A comprehensive description of the essential data collection tools employed in quantitative and qualitative research studies, along with their proper construction, standardization and validation. Complete and workable description of the techniques and methods of data analysis used in quantitative and qualitative research studies. A complete chapter devoted to the use of computer technology for the execution of the quantitative and qualitative research studies.