A Student's Guide to Methodology―Justifying Enquiry

This text on social and educational research focuses on developing a critical research sensibility at all stages of the research process. Students are urged to record responses to the text's activities in a research journal. In Part 1, research and methodology are defined, with emphasis on how 'methodology' is different from 'method.' These definitions inform the discussions, examples, and activities in the rest of the text. Part 2, on the nature of methodology, contains chapters on radical looking, listening, reading, and questioning. Part 3 begins with research design, showing how the processes of social enquiry discussed in Part 2 can influence the shape and scope of any study. Part 3 then goes on to cover writing the research report and using the research journal to plan an enquiry. Ethical questions integrated throughout. Clough is a research fellow at the University of Chester, UK. Nutbrown is director for research in education at the University of Sheffield, UK Annotation Ac2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)