Structured as a series of probing questions, and covering a range of methods, this book reflects on the challenge posed by the idea that social research should serve evidence-based practice.[...]

The dispute over the value of qualitative versus quantitative approaches to social research originated in 19th and early 20th-century debates about the relationship between the methods of history and natural science. Within sociology, this dispute first arose in the United States during the 1920s an[...]

In the past it was generally taken for granted that the goal of social research was the production of objective knowledge; and that this required a commitment to value neutrality. In more recent times, however, both these ideals have come to be challenged, and it is often argued that all research is[...]

All researchers need to think about research ethics, and for a variety of reasons it is an increasingly important part of research methods training. Ethics in Qualitative Research explores this field and presents a distinctive perspective; one that is at odds with the assumptions underpinning ethic[...]

Is qualitative research in crisis? In "Questioning Qualitative Inquiry", Martyn Hammersley raises fundamental questions about the current state of qualitative social research. He examines some of the changes that have taken place within it over the past fifty years, suggesting that the move away fro[...]

What forms of knowledge can social science claim to produce? Does it employ causal analysis, and if so what does this entail? What role should values play in the work of social scientists? These are the questions addressed in this book. They are closely interrelated, and the answers offered here cha[...]

This book invites readers to explore the nature of qualitative research, and to recognise the varied and conflicting forms it can take. It examines how these contrast with quantitative work, as well as how they differ from journalism and imaginative literature. The book describes various methodologi[...]

What do children understand about their worlds? Why do young people behave in certain ways? Research is the key to answering these and many other questions you may have in the course of your work or study. As an introduction to research, this book helps you understand how research is designed and c[...]