This Handbook addresses the methodology of social science research and the appropriate use of different methods.

Presenting social science research methods within the context of human service practice, APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH is the ideal text for courses focused on applied research in human services, counseling, social work, sociology, criminal justice, and community planning. With in-depth coverage of all the topics taught in traditional social science research methods courses, APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH brings the subject to life by showing how research is increasingly used in practice today. In addition, this fully updated edition includes a thought-provoking Eye on Ethics feature and new and revised Research in Practice vignettes. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

"The Terry E. Hedrick, Leonard Bickman, and Debra J. Rog text provides a framework for designing research that is adaptable to almost any applied setting and constantly reiterates the need for establishing and maintaining credibility with the client at each level of the research process. Although the applied research book is a practical guide, suitable to accompany any thorough applied design textbook, it does a comprehensive job of presenting the distinction between basic and applied research. It introduces many topics found in the general methodology textbooks. This overlap will help students to feel comfortable in using the general skills in a more specific and complex manner." --Contemporary Psychology "For researchers needing to know how to plan and design applied research projects, Applied Research Design will be a most welcome publication. . . . The writing is clear and concise, graphics are utilized helpfully, and this book will be much appreciated by beginning social scientists who are serious but uncertain about the methodologies possible for doing applied research." --Academic Library Book Review Aimed at helping researchers and students make the transition from the classroom and the laboratory to the "real" world, the authors reveal pitfalls to avoid and strategies to undertake in order to overcome obstacles in the design and planning of applied research. Applied Research Design focuses on refining research questions when actual events force deviations from the original analysis. To accomplish this, the authors discuss how to study and monitor program implementation, statistical power analysis, and how to assess the human and material resources needed to conduct an applied research design to facilitate the management of data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Appropriate for professionals and researchers who have had some previous exposure to research methods, this book will enable the development of research strategies that are credible, useful, and--more important--feasible.

An innovative textbook introducing a variety of social science methodologies applicable to a range of social and political science disciplines.

With the primary objective of raising ethical sensibility, this volume details the ethical problems and dilemmas faced by applied social science researchers. Issues such as the use of deception, the participant's right to privacy and informed consent, and the potential harm of public disclosure are confronted. The author discusses the need to review ethical problems and their implications in the context of current ethical standards in both society and the scientific community. Case studies illustrate unanticipated ethical dilemmas which might emerge during a research project. Issues are presented and interpreted clearly so that their complexity can be penetrated and potential solutions envisioned. The volume also includes specific methodolo

Case Study Research: Principles and Practices provides a general understanding of the case study method as well as specific tools for its successful implementation. These tools are applicable in a variety of fields including anthropology, business and management, communications, economics, education, medicine, political science, psychology, social work, and sociology. Topics include: a survey of case study approaches; a methodologically tractable definition of 'case study'; strategies for case selection, including random sampling and other algorithmic approaches; quantitative and qualitative modes of case study analysis; and problems of internal and external validity. The second edition of this core textbook is designed to be accessible to readers who are new to the subject and is thoroughly revised and updated, incorporating recent research, numerous up-to-date studies and comprehensive lecture slides.

Showcasing how you can use a work placement to develop your research and professional skills, this warm and personable book demonstrates how you can transfer and grow skills from your academic training to the workplace and maximise the benefits of learning by doing. The book also: · Helps you confidently navigate the entire internship process, providing reassuring guidance about key steps such as applying and interviewing for placements · Highlights the importance of practicing reflective learning and encourages you to become a reflective researcher · Empowers you to make an internship work for you, giving you key employability and workplace skills. Drawing on a range of real student voices, this pragmatic guide helps you make the most of the opportunities offered by a work placement and shows how the skills you learn will help you thrive in academia and beyond.