The good research guide: for small-scale research projects

378 Pages·2014·25.747 MB·English

by  Denscombe, Martyn

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The Good Research Guide pen UP Study Skills Do
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The Good Research Guide by bestselling author Martyn Denscombe Fift Th The Good of Nu
has established itself as THE introductory book on the basics of social h e rsin
research. It provides practical and straightforward guidance for those Ed G g, C
who need to conduct small-scale research projects as part of their itio o hiang
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undergraduate, postgraduate or professional studies. d Research Guide ai U
Tthhriosu bgrhaonudt naenwd fiinftchlu eddeisti onne wh amsa bteeerina lt ohno:roughly updated and revised Re niversity
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• The use of social media in research, including guidelines on the ea For small-scale social research projects 2.158
use of social networking sites r .11
•• MHoowre t oo nc oinntdeurncet ts yressteemaracthic a lnitde rhaotuwr eto r eruvnie wonsl i ne surveys ch 7] at [07
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•• GWeritttiinngg rgeosoeda rrcehs preopnosret sr ates to a survey uid 5 t h 8/16]. Co
• Research ethics e py
Retaining the clear, friendly and practical approach that has made the e d i t i o n right ©
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book a must for student researchers, the new edition includes many c
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helpful learning features such as “at a glance” summaries in “Key ra
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Points” boxes, helpful “Checklists” to guide good practice and handy -H
“Link-ups” between key topics across the book. Every chapter provides M ill G
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up-to-date further reading lists to help you develop your knowledge and rt al E
research skills. yn duc
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This is an invaluable resource for anyone conducting social research De tion H
including those in applied areas such as business studies, health n • Equips you with the skills you old
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studies, nursing, education, social work, policy studies, marketing, co need for successful research gs, L
media studies and criminology. L
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Martyn Denscombe is Emeritus Professor of Social Research in the b
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Faculty of Business and Law at De Montfort University, UK. New material on surveys red
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• Additional material on r m
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research ethics ifie
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For small-scale social research projects n
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Open University Press [ F
McGraw-Hill Education ac
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McGraw-Hill House lty
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Shoppenhangers Road f N
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email: [email protected] niv
world wide web: www.openup.co.uk ersity
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and Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121-2289, USA .62
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First published 1998 1
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Second edition published 2003 ] a
Third edition published 2007 t [07
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Fourth edition published 2010 8
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First published in this fifth edition 2014 6]. C
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Copyright © Martyn Denscombe, 2014 rig
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All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes M
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of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a G
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Agency Ltd of Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London, EC1N 8TS. du
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A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library n H
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ISBN-13: 978-0-335-26470-4 ing
ISBN-10: 0-335-26470-0 s, L
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eISBN: 978-0-335-26471-1 C. N
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data t to b
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Fictitious names of companies, products, people, characters and/or data that may be r m
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Summary of contents [ F
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Introduction 1 h
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PART 1 STRATEGIES FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH 3 a
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1 SurveyS 7 iv
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2 Sampling 32 rsity
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3 CaSe StudieS 54 .62
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4 experimentS 66 8
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5 ethnography 80 7] a
6 phenomenology 94 t [0
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7 grounded theory 106 8/1
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8 aCtion reSearCh 122 ]. C
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9 SyStematiC reviewS 132 py
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10 mixed methodS 146 ht ©
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PART 2 METHOdS OF dATA COLLECTIOn 163 G
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11 QueStionnaireS 166 -H
12 interviewS 184 ill G
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13 obServation 205 al E
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14 doCumentS 225 uc
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PART 3 dATA AnALySIS 243 H
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15 Quantitative data 249 ing
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16 Qualitative data 276 L
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PART 4 COnTExT 305 t to
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17 reSearCh ethiCS 306 re
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18 reSearCh reportS 326 istrib
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References 339 o
Index 349 r m
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Contents [ F
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List of tables and figures xv , Ch
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Acknowledgements xvii gm
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introduCtion 1 rsity
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PART 1 STRATEGIES FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH 3 58
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What are research strategies? 3 7] a
Which strategy to choose? 3 t [0
Checklist for the choice of research strategy 6 7/1
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1 SurveyS 7 ]. C
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What is a survey? 7 rig
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Types of survey 8 t ©
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Which type of survey to choose? 9
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Postal surveys 10 ra
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Face-to-face surveys 11 -H
Group-administered surveys 11 ill G
Telephone surveys 12 lo
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Internet surveys 13 l E
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Web-based questionnaire surveys 14 uc
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Social network sites 18 tio
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Facebook surveys 19 H
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The research population 20 ldin
Response rates 22 gs, L
How to achieve good response rates 22 L
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Non-response bias 26 . N
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Advantages of surveys 29 t to
Disadvantages of surveys 29 be
Further reading 30 red
Checklist for the use of surveys 31 istrib
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2 Sampling 32 r m
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Representative samples and exploratory samples 32 ifie
Probability sampling and non-probability sampling 33 d in
Sampling frames 34 an
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Probability sampling techniques 36 w
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Non-probability sampling techniques 40 y w
Which sampling technique should be used? 44 ith
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Size of the sample 44 t p
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viii Contents lo
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Advantages of sampling 51 [ F
Disadvantages of sampling 52 ac
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Further reading 52 lty
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Checklist for the use of sampling 53 f N
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3 CaSe StudieS 54 g
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What is a ‘case’? 54 ia
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The case study approach 54 m
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The purpose of a case study 56 i U
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Selecting a case 58 iv
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Can you generalize from a case study? 61 rsity
Advantages of the case study approach 63 5.6
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Disadvantages of the case study approach 64 .1
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Further reading 64 8.1
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Checklist for the use of case studies 65 7] a
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4 experimentS 66 7/1
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WWhhaent itso a uns eex apne erixmpeenritm? ent 6667 6]. Co
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Types of experiment 68 yrig
Experiments involving people – the observer effect 69 ht ©
Causal relationships and variables 71 M
The use of controls 72 cG
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Control groups 73 w
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BTrliuned e txripaelsri ments and quasi-experiments 7745 ill Glo
Advantages of experiments 76 ba
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Disadvantages of experiments 77 d
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Further reading 78 a
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Checklist for the experimental approach 79 n H
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5 ethnography 80 in
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What is ethnography? 80 L
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The alien, the exotic and the routine 81 . N
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Life on the Internet 82 t to
Life history 82 be
Access to fieldwork settings 84 red
Description and theory 86 istrib
Reflexivity: ethnographers as part of the world they seek to describe 88 ute
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Putting the researcher’s ‘self’ into ethnographic research 89 o
Advantages of ethnography 90 r mo
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Disadvantages of ethnography 91 ifie
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Further reading 92 in
Checklist for ethnographic research 93 an
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6 phenomenology 94 y w
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What is the phenomenological approach? 94 ou
Experience 95 t pe
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The everyday world 95 [ F
Seeing things through the eyes of others 96 ac
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The social construction of reality 96 lty
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Multiple realities 97 f N
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Description 98 rsin
The suspension of common-sense beliefs 98 g, C
Members’ accounts 99 h
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Types of phenomenology: underlying essences or actual experiences 100 ng
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Advantages of phenomenology 102 ai U
Disadvantages of phenomenology 103 n
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FCuhretchkelris rte faodri npgh enomenology 110045 ersity 5
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7 grounded theory 106 8.1
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What is the grounded theory approach? 106 ] a
When is the grounded theory approach useful? 108 t [0
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Starting grounded theory research 109 /18
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TChoemoprleettiicnagl sthaem rpelsinega:r cthhe ( stheeleocrteiotinc aolf s saittuersa ftoior nfi)e ldwork 111102 6]. Co
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Methods of data collection 112 yrig
Analysing the data 112 ht ©
Displaying the process 114 M
Theories and grounded research 115 cG
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Developments in grounded theory 116 w
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ADdisvaadnvtaangteasg oefs tohfe t ghreo gurnoduendd tehde tohreyo aryp parpoparcoha ch 111189 ill Glo
Further reading 120 ba
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Checklist for the grounded theory approach 121 d
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8 aCtion reSearCh 122 H
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What is action research? 122 in
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The practical nature of action research 123 s, L
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Change and professional self-development 124 C
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Action research as a cyclical process 124 o
Participation in the research process 125 t to
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Issues connected with the use of action research 126 e re
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ADdisvaadnvtaangteasg oefs aocft aiocnti orens reeasrecahr ch 112299 istrib
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Further reading 130 ted
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Checklist for action research 131 r m
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9 SyStematiC reviewS 132 d in
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What is a systematic review? 132 ny
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Benefits of a systematic review 133 a
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Kinds of research problem suitable for systematic review 134 with
Qualitative research and systematic reviews 134 ou
How to conduct a systematic review 135 t pe
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