The Practice of Social Research - Standalone Book

A straightforward, comprehensive, and approachable guide to research as practiced by social scientists, the Fourteenth Edition of this “gold-standard” text gives you the tools you need to apply research concepts practically, as both a researcher and a consumer. Author Earl Babbie emphasizes the process by showing you how to design and construct projects, introducing the various observation modes in use today, and answering critical questions about research methods-such as how to conduct online surveys and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. Contents in Brief......Page 8 Contents in Detail......Page 10 Preface......Page 18 Acknowledgments ......Page 24 1 Human Inquiry and Science......Page 29 2 Paradigms, Theory, and Social Research......Page 56 3 The Ethics and Politics of Social Research......Page 85 4 Research Design......Page 113 5 Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement......Page 148 6 Indexes, Scales, and Typologies......Page 180 7 The Logic of Sampling......Page 207 8 Experiments......Page 249 9 Survey Research......Page 271 10 Qualitative Field Research......Page 312 11 Unobtrusive Research......Page 347 12 Evaluation Research......Page 376 13 Qualitative Data Analysis......Page 406 14 Quantitative Data Analysis......Page 436 15 The Logic of Multivariate Analysis......Page 457 16 Statistical Analyses......Page 475 17 Reading and Writing Social Research......Page 511 Appendix A Using the Library......Page 535 Appendix B Random Numbers......Page 542 Appendix C Distribution of Chi Square......Page 544 Appendix D Normal Curve Areas......Page 546 Appendix E Estimated Sampling Error......Page 547 Glossary......Page 548 Bibliography......Page 560 Index......Page 574 An Introduction To Inquiry: Human Inquiry And Science ; Paradigms, Theory, And Social Research ; The Ethics And Politics Of Social Research -- The Structuring Of Inquiry : Quantitative And Qualitative: Research Design ; Conceptualization, Operationalization, And Measurement ; Indexes, Scales, And Typologies ; The Logic Of Sampling -- Modes Of Operation : Quantitative And Qualitative: Experiments ; Survey Research ; Qualitative Field Research ; Unobtrusive Research ; Evaluation Research -- Analysis Of Data : Quantitative And Qualitative: Qualitative Data Analysis ; Quantitative Data Analysis ; The Logic Of Multivariate Analysis ; Statistical Analyses ; Reading And Writing Social Research. Earl Babbie, Chapman University. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 535-548) And Index. This is a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to the field of research as practiced by social scientists. This best-selling book emphasizes the research process by demonstrating how to design research studies, introducing the various observation modes in use today, and answering questions about research methods--such as how to conduct online surveys, and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. The practice of social research provides all the tools researchers and consumers need to apply social research. A straightforward, comprehensive, and approachable guide to research as practiced by social scientists, this book gives readers the tools they need to apply research concepts practically, as both a researcher and a consumer. The author emphasizes the process by showing readers how to design and construct projects, introducing the various observation modes in use today, and answering critical questions about research methods-such as how to conduct online surveys and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data Offers a guide to research as practiced by social scientists. This book emphasizes the process by showing readers how to design and construct projects, introducing the various observation modes in use, and answering critical questions about research methods-such as how to conduct online surveys and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data