Using Statistical Information / Using Statistical Information

`This book offers an excellent description of quantitative and qualitative design and analysis taught in the context of three inquiry pathways: knowledge development, social inquiry, and social research. Furthermore, it provides an excellent overview of both quantitative and qualitative methods with regard to their different epistemologies, methods and techniques. Additionally, Punch provides (a) information guiding students in the use of computers for quantitative and qualitative analysis and (b) a wide range of illustrative examples to give the book a practical flavour.... I would not hesitate to recommend it to my undergraduate students′ - Forum: Qualitative Social Research (www.qualitative-research.net) `A carefully crafted introduction to social research methodology. The author guides the reader through the research process in a comprehensive and logical way which is particularly helpful for the new researcher. A great resource for anyone involved in social research - novice or experienced′ - Dr Mary Kellett, Open University Building on the success of An Introduction to Social Research, this Second Edition has been fully revised and updated to provide a broader coverage of a range of methodological approaches for third year and postgraduate students across the social sciences. New features include: - Wider coverage of qualitative research methods, including sections on action research and discourse analysis. - More pedagogical features such as student exercises and illustrative examples to ensure this is a practical, student-friendly guide. - More in-depth examination of the ethical issues involved in social research. A comprehensive and accessible introduction to qualitative, quantitative and mixed empirical methods, An Introduction to Social Research is an ideal starting point for all students and researchers in the social sciences.

`It is a book that will stimulate the graduate student and provide a rich source of material for any teacher of research design′ - Qualitative Research Journal The book that has helped more than 80,000 students and researchers prepare their plan or proposal for a scholarly journal article, dissertation or thesis has been revised and updated while maintaining all the features that made the First Edition so popular. New in the Second Edition: every chapter now shows how to implement a mixed method design as well as how to tackle quantitative and qualitative approaches; ethical issues have been added to a new section in Chapter 3; writing tips and considerations have been expanded and moved to the first part of the book to ensure research plans and proposals start in the right direction; and, the latest developments in qualitative inquiry (advocacy, participatory and emancipatory approaches) have been added to Chapter 10. Writing exercises conclude each chapter so that readers can practice the principles learned in the chapter, and, if all the exercises are completed have a written plan for their study. In addition, numbered points provide a handy checklist for each step in a process and annotated passages help the reader′s comprehension of key research ideas.

"What sets this book apart is its skillful integration of both the scientific and artistic dimensions of qualitative research." --From the foreword by Michael Quinn Patton, author of Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods, Third Edition The popular text that helped readers better understand and practice qualitative research has been completely updated and revised while retaining the features that made the First Edition so useful. New to this edition: Chapter 3 on the ethics and politics of qualitative research Chapter 4 on choosing the locus of interest among the major qualitative research approaches Chapter 10 expanded to provide detailed instructions for organizing, coding, interpreting, and analyzing data Chapters 8 and 11 present examples of the three student characters' data and analysis Concept boxes highlight major themes and issues and summarize important principles End-of-chapter study questions and activities

This book is the essential resource for any researcher embarking on an action research project in their own organization, and all students of organization studies, education, health studies, and community studies. In this brand new edition of the popular work, David Coghlan and Teresa Brannick provide an easy-to-follow, hands-on guide to every aspect of conducting an action research project in your own organization. Revised and updated, this Third Edition contains: An expanded discussion on politics and ethics of insider action research An expanded chapter on writing an action research dissertation and an action research report More case examples and reflective exercises taken from a wide variety of organizational settings  

This book analyses and discusses the recent developments for assessing research quality in the humanities and related fields in the social sciences. Research assessments in the humanities are highly controversial and the evaluation of humanities research is delicate. While citation-based research performance indicators are widely used in the natural and life sciences, quantitative measures for research performance meet strong opposition in the humanities. This volume combines the presentation of state-of-the-art projects on research assessments in the humanities by humanities scholars themselves with a description of the evaluation of humanities research in practice presented by research funders. Bibliometric issues concerning humanities research complete the exhaustive analysis of humanities research assessment. The selection of authors is well-balanced between humanities scholars, research funders, and researchers on higher education. Hence, the edited volume succeeds in painting a comprehensive picture of research evaluation in the humanities. This book is valuable to university and science policy makers, university administrators, research evaluators, bibliometricians as well as humanities scholars who seek expert knowledge in research evaluation in the humanities.

Created by two of the field's leading experts, this unique introduction to international religious demography outlines the challenges in interpreting data on religious adherence, and presents a contemporary portrait of global religious belief. Offers the first comprehensive overview of the field of international religious demography - detailing what we know about religious adherents around the world, and how we know it Examines religious freedom and diversity, including agnostics and atheists, on a global scale, highlighting trends over the past 100 years and projecting estimates for the year 2050 Outlines the issues and challenges related to definitions, taxonomies, sources, analyses, and other techniques in interpreting data on religious adherence Considers data from religious communities, censuses, surveys, and scholarly research, along with several in-depth case studies on the global Muslim population, religion in China, and the religious demography of recently created Sudan and South Sudan Argues against the belief that the twentieth-century was a 'secular' period by putting forward new evidence to the contrary Provides resources for measuring both qualitatively and quantitatively important data on the world's religious situation in the twenty-first century