Research is the systematic process of planning, investigating and understanding a phenomenon in order to find answers to specific questions. This book describes and explains the essential foundations of the research process in the social sciences. It is guided by the notion that there is no such thing as one general 'best' method, but that the choice of method depends upon the research problem and the purpose of the research.
Key features of the book:
To set the stage from a philosophy of science perspective that emphasizes the need to choose the appropriate frame of reference for a given research problem.
To describe the mindset that is necessary to work in entific way and the rules that apply, regardless of whether you are a first year student or writing a Ph.D.
To explain the importance of theories, models and methods for a systematic approach to literature reviews, use of secondary data, and empirical investigations.
To introduce the fundamental characteristics of qualitative and quantitative methods and their implications for data collection and analysis.
To clarify the issues of verification and reflection in the evaluation of research studies.
