`This clearly written and user-friendly book is ideal for students or researchers who wish to get a basic, but solid grasp of a topic and see how it fits with other topics. By following the links a student can easily and efficiently build up a clear conceptual map of social research′ - Malcolm Williams, Reader in Sociology, Cardiff University `This is a really useful book, written in an accessible manner for students beginning their study of social research methods. It is helpful both as an introductory text and as a reference guide for more advanced students. Most of the key topics in methods and methodology are covered and it will be suitable as a recommended text on a wide variety of courses′ - Clive Seale, Brunel University At last, an authoritative, crystal-clear introduction to research methods which really takes account of the needs of students for accessible, focused information to help with undergraduate essays and exams. The key concepts discussed here are based on a review of teaching syllabi and the authors′ experience of many years of teaching. Topics range over qualitative and quantitative approaches and combine practical considerations with philosophical issues. They include several new topics, like internet and phone polling, internet searches, and visual methods. Each section is free-standing, can be tackled in order, but with links to other sections to enable students to cross-reference and build up a wider understanding of central research methods. To facilitate comprehension and aid study, each section begins with a definition. It is followed by a summary of key points with key words and guides to further reading and up-to-date examples. The book is a major addition to undergraduate reading lists. It is reliable, allows for easy transference to essays and exams and easy to use, and exceptionally clearly written for student consumption. The book answers the needs of all those who find research methods daunting, and for those who have dreamt of an ideal introduction to the subject.

A detailed yet concise handbook clarifying all the major terms needed for a thorough understanding of key research methodology concepts in business and management. An invaluable guide for students at all levels seeking assistance with projects, research proposals, dissertations and theses; including case studies and suggestions for further reading.

The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Business and Management Research Methods provides a state-of–the-art overview of qualitative research methods in the business and management field. The Handbook celebrates the diversity of the field by drawing from a wide range of traditions and by bringing together a number of leading international researchers engaged in studying a variety of topics through multiple qualitative methods. The chapters address the philosophical underpinnings of particular approaches to research, contemporary illustrations, references, and practical guidelines for their use. The two volumes therefore provide a useful resource for Ph.D. students and early career researchers interested in developing and expanding their knowledge and practice of qualitative research. In covering established and emerging methods, it also provides an invaluable source of information for faculty teaching qualitative research methods. The contents of the Handbook are arranged into two volumes covering seven key themes: Volume One: History and Tradition Part One: Influential Traditions: underpinning qualitative research: positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism, constructionism, critical, poststructuralism, hermeneutics, postcolonialism, critical realism, mixed methods, grounded theory, feminist and indigenous approaches. Part Two: Research Designs: ethnography, field research, action research, case studies, process and practice methodologies. Part Three: The Researcher: positionality, reflexivity, ethics, gender and intersectionality, writing from the body, and achieving critical distance. Part Four: Challenges: research design, access and departure, choosing participants, research across boundaries, writing for different audiences, ethics in international research, digital ethics, and publishing qualitative research. Volume Two: Methods and Challenges Part One: Contemporary methods: interviews, archival analysis, autoethnography, rhetoric, historical, stories and narratives, discourse analysis, group methods, sociomateriality, fiction, metaphors, dramaturgy, diary, shadowing and thematic analysis. Part Two: Visual methods: photographs, drawing, video, web images, semiotics and symbols, collages, documentaries. Part Three: Methodological developments: aesthetics and smell, fuzzy set comparative analysis, sewing quilts, netnography, ethnomusicality, software, ANTI-history, emotion, and pattern matching.

`Comprehensive, current and compelling, a winning combination for any research student or practitioner interested in increasing his/her knowledge about qualitative methods as they apply to business research' - The Qualitative Report Covering all the major qualitative approaches in business studies (including case study research, ethnography, narrative inquiry, discourse analysis, grounded theory and action research), this practical how-to guide shows how qualitative methods are used within management, marketing, organizational studies and accounting. Within each approach, the authors consider crucial issues such as framing the research, generating research questions, getting access, collecting empirical materials, reporting the results and evaluating the research. Original case studies drawn from around the world are included throughout to demonstrate the practical applications of the methods discussed.

"An accessible and entertaining read, useful to anybody interested in the ethnographic method." - Paul Miller, University of Cumbria "A very good introduction to ethnographic research, particularly useful for first time researchers." - Heather Macdonald, Chester University "The perfect introductory guide for students embarking on qualitative research for the first time... This should be of aid to the ethnographic novice in their navigating what is a theoretically complex and changing methodological field." - Patrick Turner, London Metropolitan University An accessible, authoritative, non-nonsense guide to the key concepts in one of the most widely used methodologies in social science: Ethnography, this book: Explores and summarises the basic and related issues in ethnography that are covered nowhere else in a single text. Examines key topics like sampling, generalising, participant observation and rapport, as well as embracing new fields such as virtual, visual and multi-sighted ethnography and issues such as reflexivity, writing and ethics. Presents each concept comprehensively yet critically, alongside relevant examples. This is not quite an encyclopaedia but far more than a dictionary. It is comprehensive yet brief. It is small and neat, easy to hold and flick through. It is what students and researchers have been waiting for.

Key Concepts and Techniques in GIS is a concise overview of the fundamental ideas that inform geographic information science. It provides detailed descriptions of the concepts and techniques that anyone using GIS software must fully understand to analyse spatial data. Short and clearly focussed chapters provide explanations of: spatial relationships and spatial data the creation of digital data, the use and access of existing data, the combination of data the use of modelling techniques and the essential functions of map algebra spatial statistics and spatial analysis geocomputation - including discussion of neural networks, cellular automata, and agent-based modelling Illustrated throughout with explanatory figures, the text also includes a glossary, cross referenced to discussion in the text. Written very much from a user′s perspective, Key Concepts and Techniques in GIS is highly readable refresher course for intermediate level students and practitioners of GIS in the social and the natural sciences.

Research Methods in Business Studies A Practical Guide Third edition Pervez Ghauri and Kjell Gronhaug This clearly written introduction is ideal for business students taking a course in research methods, or undertaking their first dissertation or report on a work placement project. Written in a concise and accessible style, it demonstrates the importance of a scientific approach to business research and problem-solving projects. It shows students how to formulate a problem, choose a research method, argue and motivate, and how to collect, analyse and present the data. Key Features: Provides guidelines to formulate a research problem, preparing students to fully understand the questions and objectives before undertaking research. Explains the importance of methods and models to equip students with a systematic approach in thinking, executing and writing. Evaluates different qualitative and quantitative methods and their consequences on data collection and analysis so that students can choose the most appropriate research method for a given situation. Offers clear guidelines about structuring clear, concise and relevant reports. Contains detailed discussion of research theories and their practical application in business. This edition has extended coverage of international and cross-cultural research, more examples from real dissertations and research projects from diverse areas of business such as HRM and accounting, and a new chapter on qualitative research and the software used to analyse data. A concise, clear and comprehensive introduction to research methods, which equips students with a systematic approach to business research. Dr. Pervez Ghauri is Professor of International Business at Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, UK. Dr Kjell Gronhaug is Professor of Business Studies at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Bergen, Norway.