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For many researchers, the need to present relevant and engaging material in the most effective way in an unfamiliar setting presents a potential barrier to their success as professionals. This handy guide tackles the obstacles to effective and successful presentations, considering the range of material which might be presented, the occasions which suit different types of material and the skills needed to present research in a way that is engaging and persuasive. This book addresses questions such as: Why should I give a paper and where might I give a paper? How does the conference system works? How do I prepare an abstract/outline/synopsis? How do I chose my material and prepare it for a conference presentation? How can I prepare effective conference aids? How can I overcome my nerves? How can I prepare and present effective posters for poster presentations? As with the other titles in the Success in Research series, this guide takes a hands-on approach and includes checklists, top tips, exercises and examples to help you remember what you have read and put it immediately to work! The Success in Research series, from Cindy Becker and Pam Denicolo, provides short, authoritative and accessible guides on key areas of professional and research development. Avoiding jargon and cutting to the chase of what you really need to know, these practical and supportive books cover a range of areas from presenting research to achieving impact, and from publishing journal articles to developing proposals. They are essential reading for any student or researcher interested in developing their skills and broadening their professional and methodological knowledge in an academic context.

Now in its fifth, expanded edition, Using Sources Effectively, Fifth Edition targets the two most prominent problems in current research-paper writing: the increase in unintentional plagiarism and the ineffective use of research source material. Designed as a supplementary textbook for both undergraduate and graduate courses, this book will help every student who uses research in writing. Included in this edition are coverage of research strategies and source selection (Chapter 2), a chapter on quoting sources effectively (Chapter 4), and a chapter on sentence patterns (Chapter 10). APA and MLA citation styles have been updated throughout the text.To the student:This book was written to give you the knowledge and tools you can use to make your research-based writing more powerful and effective. Here are some examples: Mini-Research Projects at the end of each chapter to sharpen your research and evaluation skills A set of practical, useful rhetorical devices to help improve the clarity and impact of your writing Increased emphasis on synthesis writing—weaving source use into your own thinking—to give your writing more interest and persuasive power Instruction in close reading to help you better grasp what an author is discussing or arguing Strategies for organizing and positioning your sources to strengthen your central argument.

For students and researchers new to mixed methods, A Concise Introduction to Mixed Methods Research 2e by renowned author John W. Creswell provides a brief and practical introduction to mixed methods. Many graduate students and researchers in the social, behavioral and health sciences may not have the time or resources to read long treatises or stacks of journal articles on mixed methods research. This text quickly describes the basics of setting up and conducting a study using this methodology. Chapters are short and follow the process of research, from ensuring skills for conducting research, acknowledging the steps in planning a study, designing studies with increasing complexity, planning sampling strategies and integration, and writing up the results of your study. Get started in mixed methods quickly with this brief primer.

There are many textbooks on research methods, plenty of books on popular science, and specialist texts on a whole range of academic fields. However, few bring these together as a framework for a career involving research, and few attempt a practical appraisal of the challenges and opportunities involved in being'a researcher'. Here, the principles underlying humanity's past and continuing acquisition of knowledge are illustrated across a variety of academic fields, from history to quantum physics - telling stories of clever and inventive people with good ideas, but also of personalities, politics, and power. This book draws together these strands to provide an informal and concise account of knowledge acquisition in all its guises. Having set out what research hopes to achieve, and why we are all researchers at heart, early chapters describe the basic principles underlying this - ways of thinking which may date back to the philosophers of the Athenian marketplace but are still powerful influences on the way research is carried out today. Drawing on a broad range of disciplines, Stewart takes the reader well beyond the pure'scientific method', which might work well enough in physics or chemistry but falls apart in life sciences, let alone humanities. Later chapters consider the realities of carrying out research and the ways in which these continue to shape its progress - researchers and their personalities, their employers, funding, publication, political forces, and power structures. Written in an accessible and engaging style, this book is for anyone embarking on a research project or beginning to think about a career involving research, and for those in need of refocusing on why they started research in the first place.

Der bewährte Instrumentenkoffer für die'SMARTe Praxisforschung'stellt eine Palette hilfreicher Verfahren vor, die Forschenden in der Sozialen Arbeit, der Lehrer:innenbildung und den Gesundheitswissenschaften beim Einstieg helfen. Hinter dem Begriff'SMARTe Praxisforschung'verbergen sich die Anfangsbuchstaben der fünf wesentlichsten Merkmale von praxisorientierter Forschung, die der Autor zukünftigen und fortgeschrittenen Forschende anschaulich erläutert. Sein Buch enthält eine Vielzahl von praktischen und methodischen Instrumenten für Untersuchungen, Befragungen, Evaluationen, Auswertungen und Datensystematik. Nach einer Stellungnahme zu den kontrovers diskutierten Begriffen Praxiswissen und wissenschaftliches Wissen führt der Autor die angehenden Forschenden in die Planung von Forschungsprojekten ein und zeigt, wie Praxisforschung immer auch partizipativ angelegt ist. Dabei beschreibt er eine breite Palette bewährter Verfahren und Hilfestellungen, welche die Qual der Wahl minimieren und eine systematische, optimale Auswertung anleiten.

A rich guide for understanding the evolving research landscape in psychology, including changes to core research ethics concepts such as informed consent, privacy, and risk of harm. This handbook offers a thorough and authoritative discussion of the ethical issues in conducting research with human participants. Each chapter poses an important ethical question, considers the relevant factors for addressing the question, and presents guidance for investigators. Topics include: informed consent, deception, risk/benefit ratio, data security, authorship, conflicts of interest, fairness and equity when collaborating with researchers in resource-poor settings, and more. While psychological research with humans still takes place in the investigator's laboratory and field, there is an increasing trend toward multiple investigators and interdisciplinary research projects owing to the complexity of modern research questions. Furthermore, technology has changed dramatically and affects all psychological researchers, whether they are working individually or in large teams. With its comprehensive scope and practical guidance, this book will serve as an invaluable aid to understanding and navigating the ethical challenges that confront new and seasoned researchers alike.

This volume offers an up-to-date guide to the principles of socioformation, which represent the foundation of the development of formative projects through collaborative working in academia, not only for the construction of the knowledge, but also for the development of research. It provides the reader with insights into the processes of collaborative working, presenting an analysis that offers a clear distinction between collaborative working and cooperative working.

Feminist Speculations and the Practice of Research-Creation provides a unique introduction to research-creation as a methodology, and a series of exemplifications of research-creation projects in practice with a range of participants including secondary school students, artists, and academics.In conversation with leading scholars in the field, the book outlines research-creation as transdisciplinary praxis embedded in queer-feminist anti-racist politics. It provides a methodological overview of how the author approaches research-creation projects at the intersection of literary arts, textuality, artistic practice, and pedagogies of writing, drawing on concepts related to the feminist materialisms, including speculative thought, affect theories, queer theory, and process philosophy. Further, it troubles representationalism in qualitative research in the arts. The book demonstrates how research-creation operates through the making of or curating of art or cultural productions as an integral part of the research process. The exemplification chapters engage with the author's research-creation events with diverse participants all focused on text-based artistic projects including narratives, inter-textual marginalia art, postcards, songs, and computer-generated scripts.The book is aimed at graduate students and early career researchers who mobilize the literary arts, theory, and research in transdisciplinary settings.

The Inner World of Research is a book about the joys and miseries of life as a researcher. Dealing with essential but rarely mentioned topics in the everyday life of a researcher, it focuses, in particular, on the role of emotions and social relations in research. It stretches from the individual researcher, to the ‘micro-cosmos'of the research team and to the broader policy environment in which research takes place. Though based on autobiographical material from Stefan Svallfors'long career as a leading social scientist, the book also derives from extended interviews with researchers from a variety of disciplines, and with authors, artists and musicians. It delves into the mysteries of creativity; the joys and frustrations of collaboration; and the role of fear, anger and boredom in the life of a researcher.

Knowings and Knots presents a range of interdisciplinary perspectives on the methodology of research-creation and asks how those who make knowledge think about and value it. Not just a method but a site of ongoing experimentation around what counts as knowledge, research-creation is a meeting place of academia, artistic creation, and the wider public. The contributors argue that academic institutions and funders must recognize research-creation as innovative knowledge-making that leaps over the traditional splitting of theory from practice while considering how gender/feminist studies, Indigenous practices, and new materialism might inform and develop the conversation. Through this book, readers can transform the way they experience both art and education. Contributors: Carolina Cambre, Owen Chapman, Paul Couillard, T.L. Cowan, John Cussans, Randy Lee Cutler, Petra Hroch, Rachelle Viader Knowles, Natalie Loveless, Glen Lowry, Erin Manning, Sourayan Mookerjea, Natasha Myers, Simon Pope, Stephanie Springgay, Sarah E. Truman

The Second Edition of Situational Analysis: Grounded Theory After the Interpretive Turn offers an innovative extension of grounded theory useful in qualitative research projects that draws on interviews, observations, and visual, narrative, and historical discourse materials. To engage the dense complexities of real world situations, Situational Analysis (SA) braids together Strauss′s ecological social worlds/arenas theory, Foucault's discourse analysis, and Deleuze and Guattari's rhizomes and assemblages. In SA, the situation itself becomes the fundamental unit of analysis. Using extensive examples, the authors discuss getting started, how to create three kinds of maps emphasizing differences and relationality (situational maps, social world/arena maps, and positional maps), the kinds of analytic work they accomplish, and how to write up the results centered on the distinctive strengths of the method. The book will serve as an invaluable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level students, as well as professional researchers and consultants from diverse backgrounds pursuing qualitative projects.

• Illustrates all the steps in preparing qualitative and quantitative literature reviews.• Emphasizes topic selection, locating literature, and avoiding major pitfalls in evaluating and synthesizing literature.• Shows how to improve literature reviews through the judicious inclusion of statistical results found in the literature.• Provides easy-to-follow advice on how to avoid misrepresenting the results of published research in literature reviews.• The numerous examples throughout the text and the nine model literature reviews clarify the process of following the guidelines for writing solid, state-of-the-art literature reviews.• Shows students how to blend qualitative and quantitative approaches to preparing literature reviews without being overly mathematical.• Two chapters present clear explanations of how to conduct meta-analyses.• All examples have been updated to ensure consistency with the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and the fourth edition of the American Sociological Association's Style Guide.

This text teaches readers how to plan, conduct, and write a research project and select and interpret data through its integrated approach to quantitative research methods. Although not a statistics book, students learn to master which technique to use when and how to analyze and interpret results, making them better consumers of research. Organized around the steps of conducting a research project, this book is ideal for those who need to analyze journal articles. With teaching experience in various departments, the authors know how to address the research problems faced by behavioral and social sciences students. Independent sections and chapters can be read in any order allowing for flexibility in assigning topics.Adopters applaud the book's clarity and applied interdependent approach to research. The book emphasizes five research approaches: randomized experimental, quasi-experimental, comparative, associational, and descriptive. These five approaches lead to three kinds of research designs which lead to three groups of statistics with the same names. This consistent framework increases comprehension while avoiding confusion caused by inconsistent terminology. Numerous examples, diagrams, tables, key terms, key distinctions, summaries, applied problems, interpretation questions, and suggested readings further promote understanding. This extensively revised edition features: More examples from published research articles to help readers better understand the research process. New Research in the Real World boxes that highlight actual research projects from various disciplines. Defined key terms in the margins and interpretation questions that help readers review the material. More detailed explanations of key concepts including reliability, validity, estimation, ethical and bias concerns, data security and assumptions, power analysis, and multiple and logistic regression. New sections on mediation and moderation analysis to address the latest techniques. More coverage of quasi-experimental design and qualitative research to reflect changing practices. A new appendix on how to write about results using APA guidelines to help new researchers. Online resources available at www.routledge.com/9781138852976 that provide instructors with PowerPoints, test questions, critical thinking exercises, a conversion guide, and answers to all of the book's problems and questions. Students will find learning objectives, annotated links to further readings and key concepts, and key terms with links to definitions. Intended for graduate research methods or design or quantitative/experimental research methods courses in psychology, education, human development, family studies, and other behavioral, social, and health sciences, some exposure to statistics and research methods is recommended.

This useful guide educates students in the preparation of literature reviews for term projects, theses, and dissertations. The authors provide numerous examples from published reviews that illustrate the guidelines discussed throughout the book. New to the seventh edition: Each chapter breaks down the larger holistic review of literature exercise into a series of smaller, manageable steps Practical instructions for navigating today's digital libraries Comprehensive discussions about digital tools, including bibliographic and plagiarism detection software Chapter activities that reflect the book's updated content New model literature reviews Online resources designed to help instructors plan and teach their courses (www.routledge.com/9780415315746).

This practical guide provides step-by-step instruction for conducting a mixed methods research synthesis (MMRS) that integrates both qualitative and quantitative evidence. The book progresses through a systematic, comprehensive approach to conducting an MMRS literature review to analyze and summarize the empirical evidence regarding a particular review question. Readers will benefit from discussion of the potential advantages of MMRS and guidance on how to avoid its potential pitfalls. Using Mixed Methods Research Synthesis for Literature Reviews is Volume 4 in the SAGE Mixed Methods Research Series.

In this critical reader, the best writing of two dozen key figures in qualitative research is gathered together to help students to identify emerging themes in the field and the latest thinking of the leaders in qualitative inquiry. These groundbreaking articles are pulled from a decade of social justice-focused plenary volumes emanating from the annual International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. These are the ideas that have helped shape the landscape of the field over the past decade. This work-brings together the latest work of 25 leading figures in qualitative research from 4 continents;-addresses the central themes of the field over the past decade in theory, methodology, politics, and interventions;-includes contextualizing essays by the volume editors, who direct the Congress.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.This book provides an up-to-date, concise, and engaging introduction to solicited diary method, aimed at researchers and students who want to employ this methodology in their projects. Its primary focus is on the use of solicited diary method in the context of social and health-related research, but it also offers useful guidance on the everyday practice of diary keeping.The authors draw on published research that makes use of this method, including their own independent studies involving older adults and family carers. The book opens with an overview of the development of diary techniques and a discussion of the value of the method, and provides an overview of the different ways of collecting and using diary data and techniques for analysing it. Key ethical issues are sensitively discussed. The book engages with new and novel developments in solicited diary method by engaging with the use of technology including discussion of how digital devices, email exchanges, social media such as Facebook, weblogs and micro-blogging such as Twitter, have the potential to change the meaning and nature of diary-keeping.The book includes a variety of visuals to enhance understanding, including a tabulated summary of the main strengths and limitations of using diary method, and strategies for mitigating limitations.

The author takes the student through the whole of the research process including anticipating common mistakes and `times of trouble′ and offering advice on how to make things easier on yourself. The methods work is sound and the methodology is put across very well and nicely integrated with the `thinking out′ of the research … Rigorous, accessible, upbeat - I would expect this to become a widely used resource for students and lone researchers at all levels′ - Roger Sapsford, School of Social Sciences, University of Teeside Timely, assured and written with the needs of students uppermost, Small-Scale Research is a direct, comprehensive guide for students doing theses, dissertations, papers and projects. It systematically works through the central methods of inquiry and demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. The advice on when and how to use small-scale methods is pragmatic, recognizing that small-scale researchers are usually short on time and resources. Yet behind this pragmatism is the principle that research is, above all, about thinking. Whatever needs to be done in a research project has to be for the purpose of providing research audiences with the best possible answers, in the circumstances, to the research questions. The book argues that it is not enough to apply research methods. Sense-making and claims-making are central to good research practice.

This book about responsible and evidence-based decision making is written for those interested in improving the decisions that affect people's lives. It describes how to define policy research questions so that evidence can be applied to them, how to find and synthesize existing evidence, how to generate new evidence if needed, how to make acceptable recommendations that can solve policy problems without negative side effects, and how to describe evidence and recommendations in a manner that changes minds. Policies are not just the decisions made by a country's rulers or elected officials; policies are also set by corporate executives, managers of department stores, and project leaders in non-profit organizations pursuing environmental protection. The authors'suggestion are based on the fundamental belief that evidence-based decision making is superior to decisions based purely on opinion, intuition, and emotion. Because much has happened since 1984 when the first edition was published, this is a substantially different book with a new co-author, new and updated examples, new chapters, and new frameworks for understanding.

As bio-capital in the form of medical knowledge, skills and investments moves with greater frequency from its origin in First World industrialized settings to resource-poor communities with weak or little infrastructure, countries with emerging economies are starting to expand new indigenous science bases of their own. The case studies here, from the UK, West Africa, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Latin America and elsewhere, explore the forms of collaborative knowledge relations in play and the effects of ethics review and legal systems on local communities, and also demonstrate how anthropologically-informed insights may hope to influence key policy debates. Questions of governance in science and technology, as well as ethical issues related to bio-innovation, are increasingly being featured as topics of complex resourcing and international debate, and this volume is a much-needed resource for interdisciplinary practitioners and specialists in medical anthropology, social theory, corporate ethics, science and technology studies.

This text provides a comprehensive guide to doing research in the social and behavioral sciences—from research design and sampling to collecting and analyzing data. Rich in examples, the book has been revised and updated to provide today′s students with a conceptual understanding of each qualitative and quantitative technique, as well as showing them how to use it.'The main strength of this text is coverage of both quantitative and qualitative methodology from a broad range of fields. The examples are often my students′ favorite thing to discuss in class.'-Erica B. Gibson, University of South Carolina'Bernard does an excellent job of not only showing how to practice research but also provides a detailed discussion of broader historical and philosophical contexts that are important for understanding research.'-Julian Kilker, University of Nevada, Las Vegas'The depth of detailed descriptions (foundations of social research; interviewing, participant observation, field notes, and data analysis) go beyond other texts…the organization is superb.'-Benedict J. Colombi, University of Arizona

Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials, Fourth Edition is Volume III of the three-volume paperback versions of The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, Fourth Edition. This portion of the handbook considers the tasks of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting empirical materials, and comprises the complete handbook′s'Part IV: Methods of Collecting and Analyzing Empirical Materials'and'Part V: The Art and Practices of Interpretation, Evaluation, and Presentation.'Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials, Fourth Edition introduces the researcher to basic methods of gathering, analyzing and interpreting qualitative empirical materials. Part 1 moves from narrative inquiry, to critical arts-based inquiry, to oral history, observations, visual methodologies, and autoethnographic methods. It then takes up analysis methods, including computer-assisted methodologies, focus groups, as well as strategies for analyzing talk and text. The chapters in Part II discuss evidence, interpretive adequacy, forms of representation, post-qualitative inquiry, the new information technologies and research, the politics of evidence, writing, and evaluation practices.

Research into spatial influences on people's everyday activities and experiences presents many conceptual and methodological complexities. Written by leading authorities, this book provides a comprehensive framework for collecting and analyzing reliable person–environment–behavior data in real-world settings that rarely resemble the controlled conditions described in typical texts. An array of research designs are illustrated in chapter-length examples addressing such compelling issues as spatial patterns of voting behavior, ways in which disabilities affect people's travel and wayfinding, how natural and built environments evoke emotional responses, spatial factors in elementary teaching and learning, and more. A special chapter guides the student or beginning researcher to craft a successful research proposal.

'This work′s quality, diversity, and breadth of coverage make it a valuable resource for collections concerned with qualitative research in a broad range of disciplines. Highly recommended.'—G.R. Walden, CHOICEThe Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Inquiry: Perspectives, Methodologies, Examples, and Issues represents an unfolding and expanding orientation to qualitative social science research that draws inspiration, concepts, processes, and representational forms from the arts. In this defining work, J. Gary Knowles and Ardra L. Cole bring together the top scholars in qualitative methods to provide a comprehensive overview of the past, present, and future of arts-based research. This Handbook provides an accessible and stimulating collection of theoretical arguments and illustrative examples that delineate the role of the arts in qualitative social science research. Key Features Defines and explores the role of the arts in qualitative social science research: The Handbook presents an analysis of classic and emerging methodologies and approaches that employs the arts in the qualitative research process. Brings together a unique group of scholars: Offering diverse perspectives, contributors to this volume represent a wide range of disciplines including the humanities, media and communication, anthropology, sociology, psychology, women′s studies, education, social work, nursing, and health and medicine. Offers comprehensive coverage of the genres employed by qualitative researchers: Scholars use multiple ways to advance knowledge including literary forms, performance, visual art, various types of media, narrative, folk art, and more. Articulates challenges inherent in alternative methodologies: This volume discusses the issues and challenges faced when employing art in research including ethical issues, academic merit issues, and even funding issues. Intended Audience This is an essential resource for any scholar interested in qualitative research, as well as a critical resource for all academic and public libraries.

′The book gives a comprehensive overview of what research and the research experience encompass....This book makes an interesting read for everyone who has carried out qualitative research or is planning to do so in the future. It is well-written, and very clearly structured′ - Social Research Association While each research situation is different and no book can fully prepare the researcher for what they experience - this book provides a guide to what may be expected. Brian Roberts takes the researcher through the research process, answering the practical and subjective questions anyone will face: - entering the field and finding the right research topic - emotional and identity issues of research - overcoming writing and research ′blocks′ - getting your research into reports, articles and books - reactions to research and how to handle experiences of rejection - and the questions every researcher should ask: What do I get from research, and what next? Loaded with advice on everything from organizing interpretations to coping with stress, this book is a must-read for students of all levels across the social sciences who are about to enter the research field.

Quantitative Social Research Methods explores the entire spectrum of quantitative social research methods and their application, with special reference to the development sector. It provides detailed coverage of all statistical research and analysis method with an emphasis on multivariate analysis techniques, such as regression discriminant analysis, logistic regression, factor, factor, cluster, correspondence and conjoint analysis. The book is thematically arranged in two sections: the first section introduces development research techniques, explores the genesis and scope of social research, research processes and then goes on to explain univariate, bivariate and multivariate data analysis with the help of software packages such as SPSS and STATA. The second focuses on the application of social and development research methods in the development sector. It explores research method application and the issues relevant to aspects of development such as population, health and nutrition, poverty and rural development, education, water and sanitation, and environment and natural resource management.

`As research guides go, this is probably the best, most readable and encouraging books for nurses that I have come across....I recommend this volume to students and researchers at all levels, and at all stages of their professional careers. It is an excellent read′ - Nursing Standard ′[This book] is an ideal reader for someone who is thinking about starting a research project with no or limited previous experience. This is because it outlines the whole research process from start to finish. It also provides useful tips for those who are more experienced′ - Nurse Researcher Organizing and Managing Your Research: A Practical Guide for Postgraduates deals with the practical, day-to-day aspects of managing and organizing research. Its focus is on strategies, skills, and systems that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of research practice across all research disciplines. Written in an accessible, non-technical style that speaks directly to the reader in a personal and collegial voice, this text gives practical advice and offers many tips and strategies gleaned from experienced researchers. The written text is accompanied by a website that provides downloadable templates and live links to appropriate sites. Key Features include: - Tips boxes to outline useful strategies and shortcuts based on day-to-day practice of experienced researchers. - Feature examples illustrate the practical application of some of the concepts covered - `Want to know more about …?′ boxes offer pointers to further sources of information - `Over to you′ questions at the end of each chapter prompt the student to reflect on how the strategies and concepts can be applied to their own research project

This groundbreaking book explores the implications of postmodernist ideas within the research context. The text relates debates in postmodernism directly to current thinking and practice in both qualitative and quantitative research. The engaging book is split into two parts: Part One offers a critical discussion of recent philosophical debates and emerging trends within the field of postmodernism, while Part Two breaks down the research process into its constituent parts and reflects on the changing aspects of postmodern thought and their implications for the researcher. This timely and thought-provoking textbook will engage directly with the relationship between postmodern theory within a research context. The book′s practical approach is strengthened by the inclusion of student friendly features, including a glossary and a number of illustrative examples and case studies. Its interdisciplinary approach means it will be invaluable reading for postgraduate students and researchers across the social sciences.

`Many books have been published on quality of life research in recent years, but few are as thought provoking or original as this one. It is essential reading for anyone who a serious and critical interest in this topic′ - Nurse Researcher `This was a fun book to read and I would suggest it be used for a graduate level seminar - where, of course, it would lead to a lively discussion′ - Quality of Life Research `Quality of life′ is one of the fastest growing areas of research and policy. The concept has an intuitive appeal as a measure of the well-being of individuals, communities and nations. It is increasingly promoted as an aid for political decisions and public funding. But what does the concept really mean? And how can it be operationalized in teaching and research? This is the first introductory text to offer a critical overview of the concept of quality of life and the ways in which it is researched. Using an inter-disciplinary approach, the book covers every aspect of the concept and its application - from the calculation of Quality-Adjusted Life Years to conversation analysis, and from the estimation of the quality of life of nation states to ethnographic studies of the life quality of individual disadvantaged people. The book fills a huge gap in teaching and research. Written with authority, and the need to produce an accessible critical introduction to the field, it will be of interest to students of sociology, psychology, public health and nursing, health economics, politics and medicine.

`If there is a single question that presses upon the intellect of the current generation of social scientists, it is surely:'what do the great insights of social theory imply for the way we conduct research and write about the social world?'. Until now there has been no single text to turn to that explores the epistemological complexities of field work, the problems of writing and language, and of the logics of inquiry that link theory, method and evidence. Using Social Theory is a magisterial effort to open up the black-box of research methods, and to provide students, in a way that no other comparable text has done, with a road map for the practice of the contemporary human sciences′ - Michael Watts, Chancellor′s Professor of Geography and Director Institute of International Studies, University of California, Berkeley `From'theory talk to making it walk', Using Social Theory is one of the most useful and interesting books on the market. The authors demonstrate how to use philosophy and social theory as an indispensable toolkit for passionate and rigorous research. Essential reading for students and teachers in the social sciences and humanities′ - Professor Elspeth Probyn, Department of Gender Studies, University of Sydney Have you ever stopped to wonder about the influences that underpin research? If you are thinking about doing a piece of research, what difference might it make to the question you ask, to your approach to empirical work, analysis and writing of research, if you are influenced by one theoretical approach rather than another? The chapters in this innovative guide share a common belief that thinking alongside ideas, philosophical persuasions, is an integral part of the research process; it is not an optional extra. It sets out ways to encourage the researcher to think through three key moments of the research process: the production of a research question; fieldwork; and analysis and writing. As the authors demonstrate, research is not simply `done′: it has to be thought about and thought through. The book′s accessible style makes it suitable for anyone wishing to engage ideas in research in the social sciences and humanities.

How do quantitative methods help us to acquire knowledge of the real world? What are the `do′s′ and `don′ts′ of effective quantitative research? This refreshing and accessible book provides students with a novel and useful resource for doing quantitative research. It offers students a guide on how to: interpret the complex reality of the social world; achieve effective measurement; understand the use of official statistics; use social surveys; understand probability and quantitative reasoning; interpret measurements; apply linear modelling; understand simulation and neural nets; and integrate quantitative and qualitative modelling in the research process. Jargon-free and written with the needs of students in mind, the book will be required reading for students interested in using quantitative research methods.

′I would highly recommend Fieldwork, Participation and Practice: Ethics and Dilemmas in Qualitative Research as a text for the wide range of fields that currently engage in fieldwork. She does an excellent job of moving beyond basic ethical principles and informs the reader of the complexity of contemporary fieldwork′ - Forum for Qualitative Social Research - follow the link below to read the complete review 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.

With indispensable advice for students from all social science backgrounds, this handbook provides the core conceptual and practical skills to embark on succesful research. The organization of the book reflects the knowledge that is required in order to become a competent and effective researcher. It follows the life-cycle of the research project: it begins with a discussion of ethical and philosphical issues; presents guides to both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis; provides help on using computers in research; and includes advice on how to write up and present a research project. Based on the UK Economic and Social Research Council advice on the training which students should undertake in preparation for postgraduate research, this book will be invaluable for all beginning researchers.

Describes the techniques used to determine the extent to which social goals are being achieved, to locate the barriers to these goals, and to discover the unanticipated results of social actions. The book is divided into three main sections: the conceptual, methodological, and administrative aspects of evaluation.

'Committee on National Statistics, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council.'

Internationally respected contributors describe in this volume their experiences of balancing the tension between teaching and research. Among the themes that emerge are: teachers as models for each other and for their students; individualism versus collectivism in the institution and the classroom; integrating individual research interests into the classroom; and finding one's voice. The book suggests that if scholars are to be teachers, their ability to integrate teaching and research is fundamental to their wellbeing over the course of their career, and is probably an indication of their classroom effectiveness as well.

Choosing a research method can be bewildering. How can you be sure which methodology is appropriate, or whether your chosen combination of methods is consistent with the theoretical perspective you want to take? This book links methodology and theory with great clarity and precision, showing students and researchers how to navigate the maze of conflicting terminology. The major epistemological stances and theoretical perspectives that colour and shape current social research are detailed and the author reveals the philosophical origins of these schools of inquiry and shows how various disciplines contribute to the practice of social research as it is known today.

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive account of co-operative inquiry: a way of doing research with people where the roles of researcher and subject are integrated. Co-operative inquiry is a distinctive and wide-ranging form of participative research in which people use the full range of their sensibilities to inquire together into any aspect of the human condition. This book offers both an extensive exploration of its theoretical background and a detailed practical guide to the methods involved. Topics covered include: a critique of established research techniques; the underlying participative paradigm of co-operative inquiry; the epistemological and political aspects of participation; different types of co-operative inquiry and the range of inquiry topics; ways of setting up inquiry groups and enabling their development; four kinds of inquiry outcome and the primacy of the practical; the main stages of the inquiry cycle, highlighting key issues for practice at each stage; and special skills and procedures used for enhancing validity.