Principles of Research Design in the Social Sciences eBook-EEn

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1、PrinciplesofResearchDesignintheSocialSciencesPrinciplesofResearchDesignintheSocialSciencesisabookforresearcherswhoknowwhattheywanttostudy,butwhohaveyettodecidehowbesttostudyit.Thisbookdoesnotaimtoprovideasetofrigidrecipesforsocialscientists–likemanymethodologybooksdo–ratheritisintendedto

2、stimulatethemtothinkabouttheissuesinvolvedwhendecidingupontheirresearchdesign.Bydiscussingstandardapproachestoresearchdesignandmethodinvariousdisciplineswithinthesocialsciences,theauthorsillustratewhyparticulardesignshavetraditionallypredominatedincertainareasofstudy.Butwhilsttheyacknowl

3、edgethestrengthsofthesestandardapproaches,BechhoferandPaterson’semphasisisonhelpingresearcherstofindthemosteffectivesolutiontotheirgivenproblem,encouragingthem,throughthisfamiliaritywiththeprinciplesofavarietyofapproaches,toinnovatewhereappropriate.PrinciplesofResearchDesignintheSocialSc

4、ienceswillproveindispensabletostudentsofalllevelsinthesocialsciencesembarkinguponaresearchproject,andtoexperiencedresearcherslookingforafreshperspectiveontheirobjectofstudy.FrankBechhoferisProfessorattheResearchCentreforSocialSciencesattheUniversityofEdinburgh.LindsayPatersonisProfessori

5、ntheFacultyofEducationattheUniversityofEdinburgh.ContentsPrefaceviiAcknowledgementsx1Fundamentals:comparisonandcontrol12Experiments143Representativeness314Thechoiceoflocaleandgroup435Tointerviewornottointerview556Structuredquestionnaires727Fieldwork918Time1049Policyresearch12010Journalis

6、mandliterature134Guidetofurtherreading149Bibliography155Index167PrefaceIfyouwanttoplanapieceofempiricalsocialresearch,youhavetomakedecisionsabouthowtheresearchistobecarriedout.Youhavetochooseasetofprocedureswhichenableyouraimsandobjectivestoberealisedinpractice.Theaimofthisbookistohelpyo

7、utodothat–notbyprovidingasetofrecipes,butbystimulatingyoutothinkabouttheissuesinvolvedinchoosingaresearchdesign.Sothebookiswrittenmainlyforsocialscientistswhohavedonelittleresearchbefore,whoalreadyhaveabroadideaofwhattheywanttostudy,butwhoarejustbeginningtoworkouthowtostu