The Basics of Social Research

Contents: I. An introduction to Inquiry: 1. Human Inquiry and Science. 2. Paradigms, Theory, and Research. 3. The Ethics and Politics of Social Research. II. The Structuring of Inquiry: 4. Research Design. 5. Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement. 6. Indexes, Scales, and Typologies. 7. The Logic of Sampling.
III. Modes of Observation: 8. Experiments. 9. Survey Research. 10. Qualitative Field Research. 11. Unobtrusive Research. 12. Evaluation Research. IV. Analysis of Data: 13. Qualitative Data Analysis. 14. Quantitative Data Analysis. 15.  Reading and Writing Social Research.

This thorough revision of Babbie's standard-setting text presents a succinct, straightforward introduction to the field of research methods as practiced by social scientists. Contemporary examples, such as terrorism, Alzheimer's disease, anti-gay prejudice and education, and the legalization of marijuana, introduce students to the "how-tos" and "whys" of social research methods. With increased emphasis on qualitative research and practical applications, this edition is authoritative yet student-friendly and engaging enough to help students connect the dots between the world of social research and the real world. (jacket)