Constructing Social Research

The Unity and Diversity of Method
Third Edition
Charles Ragin - University of California, Irvine, USA
Lisa M. Amoroso - Dominican University
Constructing Social Research
March 2018 | 232 pages | Sage US
Create Flyer

If you’re in the Americas, please visit our Sage College Publishing website to purchase or sample this book:

Go to College Publishing Website

Description

The updated Third Edition of this innovative text shows the unity within the diversity of activities called social research to help students understand how all social researchers construct representations of social life using theories, systematic data collection, and careful examination of that data. The book tackles questions like "What is social research?", "How does it differ from journalism, documentary film-making, or laboratory research in the natural sciences?", and "What is the researcher's obligation to those he or she is studying?"

Updated throughout with new references and examples, this edition is designed to evoke challenging questions regarding the nature of representation and the ethical challenges facing social scientific researchers. The text moves beyond standard research challenges to push readers to see the complex relationships among ethics, ideas, evidence, and outcomes.




Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

PART I: ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH

  • CHAPTER 1: What Is (and Is Not) Social Research?
  • Introduction
  • Some Conventional Views of Social Research
  • Social Research and Other Ways of Representing Social Life
  • How Social Research Differs
  • Conclusion
  • CHAPTER 2: The Goals of Social Research
  • Introduction
  • Seven Main Goals
  • The Link Between Goals and Strategies
  • The Social Nature of Social Research
  • CHAPTER 3: The Process of Social Research: Ideas and Evidence
  • Introduction
  • The Interpretive Model of Social Research
  • Processes and Strategies of Social Research
  • The Challenge of Social Research
  • CHAPTER 4: The Ethics of Social Research
  • Introduction
  • Ethical Dilemmas and Failures
  • The Troubled History of Ethical Research
  • The Current Ethical Standards and Institutional Oversight
  • Ethical and Professional Dilemmas Facing Social Researchers
  • The Problem of Representation
  • Conclusion

PART II: STRATEGIES OF SOCIAL RESEARCH

  • CHAPTER 5: Using Qualitative Methods to Study Commonalities
  • Introduction
  • The Goals of Qualitative Research
  • The Process of Qualitative Research
  • Using Qualitative Methods
  • The Study of a Single Case
  • Conclusion
  • CHAPTER 6: Using Comparative Methods to Study Diversity
  • Introduction
  • Contrasts With Other Research Strategies
  • The Goals of Comparative Research
  • The Process of Comparative Research
  • Using Comparative Methods
  • Conclusion
  • CHAPTER 7: Using Quantitative Methods to Study Covariation
  • Introduction
  • The Goals of Quantitative Research
  • Contrasts With Other Research Strategies
  • The Process of Quantitative Research
  • Using Quantitative Methods
  • Conclusion

Afterword: The Promise of Social Research With Mary Driscoll

Afterword: The Promise of Social Research With Mary Driscoll

Appendix: Computing Correlation Coefficients

Appendix: Computing Correlation Coefficients

References

References

Glossary/Index

Glossary/Index

About the Authors

About the Authors

Description

The updated Third Edition of this innovative text shows the unity within the diversity of activities called social research to help students understand how all social researchers construct representations of social life using theories, systematic data collection, and careful examination of that data. The book tackles questions like "What is social research?", "How does it differ from journalism, documentary film-making, or laboratory research in the natural sciences?", and "What is the researcher's obligation to those he or she is studying?"

Updated throughout with new references and examples, this edition is designed to evoke challenging questions regarding the nature of representation and the ethical challenges facing social scientific researchers. The text moves beyond standard research challenges to push readers to see the complex relationships among ethics, ideas, evidence, and outcomes.




Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

PART I: ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH

  • CHAPTER 1: What Is (and Is Not) Social Research?
  • Introduction
  • Some Conventional Views of Social Research
  • Social Research and Other Ways of Representing Social Life
  • How Social Research Differs
  • Conclusion
  • CHAPTER 2: The Goals of Social Research
  • Introduction
  • Seven Main Goals
  • The Link Between Goals and Strategies
  • The Social Nature of Social Research
  • CHAPTER 3: The Process of Social Research: Ideas and Evidence
  • Introduction
  • The Interpretive Model of Social Research
  • Processes and Strategies of Social Research
  • The Challenge of Social Research
  • CHAPTER 4: The Ethics of Social Research
  • Introduction
  • Ethical Dilemmas and Failures
  • The Troubled History of Ethical Research
  • The Current Ethical Standards and Institutional Oversight
  • Ethical and Professional Dilemmas Facing Social Researchers
  • The Problem of Representation
  • Conclusion

PART II: STRATEGIES OF SOCIAL RESEARCH

  • CHAPTER 5: Using Qualitative Methods to Study Commonalities
  • Introduction
  • The Goals of Qualitative Research
  • The Process of Qualitative Research
  • Using Qualitative Methods
  • The Study of a Single Case
  • Conclusion
  • CHAPTER 6: Using Comparative Methods to Study Diversity
  • Introduction
  • Contrasts With Other Research Strategies
  • The Goals of Comparative Research
  • The Process of Comparative Research
  • Using Comparative Methods
  • Conclusion
  • CHAPTER 7: Using Quantitative Methods to Study Covariation
  • Introduction
  • The Goals of Quantitative Research
  • Contrasts With Other Research Strategies
  • The Process of Quantitative Research
  • Using Quantitative Methods
  • Conclusion

Afterword: The Promise of Social Research With Mary Driscoll

Afterword: The Promise of Social Research With Mary Driscoll

Appendix: Computing Correlation Coefficients

Appendix: Computing Correlation Coefficients

References

References

Glossary/Index

Glossary/Index

About the Authors

About the Authors

SAGE Publishing Logo

Constructing Social Research

The Unity and Diversity of Method

Charles Ragin , Lisa M. Amoroso
Cancel Print

March 2018 | 232 pages | Sage US

Format Published Date ISBN Price

The updated Third Edition of this innovative text shows the unity within the diversity of activities called social research to help students understand how all social researchers construct representations of social life using theories, systematic data collection, and careful examination of that data. The book tackles questions like "What is social research?", "How does it differ from journalism, documentary film-making, or laboratory research in the natural sciences?", and "What is the researcher's obligation to those he or she is studying?"

Updated throughout with new references and examples, this edition is designed to evoke challenging questions regarding the nature of representation and the ethical challenges facing social scientific researchers. The text moves beyond standard research challenges to push readers to see the complex relationships among ethics, ideas, evidence, and outcomes.





Table Of Contents:

  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • PART I: ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH
  • CHAPTER 1: What Is (and Is Not) Social Research?
  • Introduction
  • Some Conventional Views of Social Research
  • Social Research and Other Ways of Representing Social Life
  • How Social Research Differs
  • Conclusion
  • CHAPTER 2: The Goals of Social Research
  • Introduction
  • Seven Main Goals
  • The Link Between Goals and Strategies
  • The Social Nature of Social Research
  • CHAPTER 3: The Process of Social Research: Ideas and Evidence
  • Introduction
  • The Interpretive Model of Social Research
  • Processes and Strategies of Social Research
  • The Challenge of Social Research
  • CHAPTER 4: The Ethics of Social Research
  • Introduction
  • Ethical Dilemmas and Failures
  • The Troubled History of Ethical Research
  • The Current Ethical Standards and Institutional Oversight
  • Ethical and Professional Dilemmas Facing Social Researchers
  • The Problem of Representation
  • Conclusion
  • PART II: STRATEGIES OF SOCIAL RESEARCH
  • CHAPTER 5: Using Qualitative Methods to Study Commonalities
  • Introduction
  • The Goals of Qualitative Research
  • The Process of Qualitative Research
  • Using Qualitative Methods
  • The Study of a Single Case
  • Conclusion
  • CHAPTER 6: Using Comparative Methods to Study Diversity
  • Introduction
  • Contrasts With Other Research Strategies
  • The Goals of Comparative Research
  • The Process of Comparative Research
  • Using Comparative Methods
  • Conclusion
  • CHAPTER 7: Using Quantitative Methods to Study Covariation
  • Introduction
  • The Goals of Quantitative Research
  • Contrasts With Other Research Strategies
  • The Process of Quantitative Research
  • Using Quantitative Methods
  • Conclusion
  • Afterword: The Promise of Social Research With Mary Driscoll
  • Appendix: Computing Correlation Coefficients
  • References
  • Glossary/Index
  • About the Authors

Recent Product Reviews:

Treats research appropriately as an epistemological action of queries and interplay between induction and deduction. Other research textbooks tend to exclusively focus on the mechanics of the research process. The authors' approach is helpful for students new to research and analysis. It allows me, within 4 months, to take students with no knowledge of sociological studies other than a cursory description of findings in an introductory class to a mastery level where they are able to conduct and write up an an original study. Best book ever!
Darby Southgate, Sociology Dept, Los Angeles Valley College
The text is well written an researched.
Dr Joseph Adamo, Business Administration Dept, Cazenovia College

Recommendations