Foundations Of Social Research

Choosing a research method can be bewildering. How can you be sure which methodology is appropriate, or whether your chosen combination of methods is consistent with the theoretical perspective you want to take? This book links methodology and theory with great clarity and precision, showing students and researchers how to navigate the maze of conflicting terminology. The major epistemological stances and theoretical perspectives that colour and shape current social research are detailed and the author reveals the philosophical origins of these schools of inquiry and shows how various disciplines contribute to the practice of social research as it is known today.

This is an introductory text on social research, useful for a student or a practitioner who has had limited background training, or no training, in methodology. It differs from other existing texts in that equal treatment has been given to three topics which are usually either treated separately or given different amounts of attention: theory construction, the use of statistics, and the procedures of social research (generally known as "research methods").

One of the common frustrations for students trying to make sense of the various debates and concepts that inform contemporary educational and social science research methods such as structuralism, postpositivism, hermeneutics, and postmodernism is that most books introducing these topics are written at a level that assumes the reader comes to this material with a basic grasp of the underlying ideas. Too often, fundamental concepts and theories are presented without adequate preparation and without providing practical examples to illustrate key elements. When the first edition of "Conceptual Foundations of Social Research Methods" was published, it represented a sharp contrast with these other approaches and received much praise. In this revised and expanded second edition, David Baronov further develops his critically acclaimed treatment of the core conceptual tools of social research informing education and the social sciences, updating his discussion of the current literature, and adding a new chapter that explores the role of pragmatism. Features of the Second Edition"

"Choosing a research method can be bewildering. How can you be sure which methodology is appropriate, or whether your chosen combination of methods is consistent with the theoretical perspective you want to take? This book links methodology and theory with great clarity and precision, showing students and researchers how to navigate the maze of conflicting terminology. The major epistemological stances and theoretical perspectives that colour and shape current social research are detailed and the author reveals the philosophical origins of these schools of inquiry and shows how various disciplines contribute to the practice of social research as it is known today"--amazon.com.

This 1996 book argues that behind the diverse methods of the natural sciences lies a common core of scientific rationality.

This book probes the complex methodological choices facing social researchers and students who are applying or learning the methods of social research. The author shows how an understanding of social research requires close consideration of the underlying conceptual frameworks - from neopositivism to structuralism, hermeneutics and anti-foundationalism - that shape how one studies society. Baranov introduces each philosophical tradition and shows how decisions about research design and methodology are affected by them. He also explains the practical and ethical consequences that follow from methodological choices. The book's approach is non-doctrinaire and the prose style is accessible, concrete, and jargon-free.

The 'philosophy of social research' is a subset of the philosophy of social science, but also an important subject area spanning methodology and method. The articles in this collection are the best exemplars of key positions in a very wide disciplinary field. Topics covered include science and art in the history of social research, positivism and antipositivism, language and the linguistic turn, realism and anti-realism, theory and theory choice, logic and models, prediction and laws, interpretation, probability and complexity.

The 'philosophy of social research' is a subset of the philosophy of social science, but also an important subject area spanning methodology and method. The articles in this collection are the best exemplars of key positions in a very wide disciplinary field. Topics covered include science and art in the history of social research, positivism and antipositivism, language and the linguistic turn, realism and anti-realism, theory and theory choice, logic and models, prediction and laws, interpretation, probability and complexity.