Social Research

This textbook for advanced undergraduates in sociology, education, nursing, and social work describes 11 case-centric and variable-centric research approaches: in-depth interviewing, life histories, ethnographic research, focus groups, survey research, experimental research, studying artifacts and material traces, content research, secondary research, semiotic analysis, and autoethnographic research. Self-contained chapters on each research approach overview the origins of the approach, detail data collection and analysis, describe applications, and discuss methodological, ethical, and epistemological issues. An introductory chapter reviews concepts of case-centric versus variable-centric research and offers a conceptual framework for the three main epistemological positions in the social sciences. The book's uncluttered b&w layout offers summary boxes, practice point and issue boxes, and bullet points. Bruce Curtis teaches sociology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Cate Curtis teaches psychology at the University of Waikatom, New Zealand. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)