Includes bibliographical references and index.

PART I: SETTING THE SCENE Chapter 1: Introduction What is real world research? -- Design matters -- Evaluation and change -- The audience for this book -- Returning to the real world -- Beginning the journey Chapter 2: Approaches to social research Introduction -- What is science? -- Postmodernism and extreme relativist approaches -- Two traditions -- The quantitative paradigm -- The qualitative paradigm -- Paradigms and research questions -- A pragmatic approach -- Multi-strategy research designs -- Realism and real world research -- The purposes of research -- Practical value of the theoretical material covered in the chapter PART II: PLANNING -- SELECTING A STRATEGY Chapter 3: Developing your ideas Introduction -- Deciding on the focus -- Searching and reviewing the literature -- Research questions -- Developing your research question(s) -- The place of theory Chapter 4: General design issues Introduction -- A framework for research design -- Getting a feel for design issues -- Choosing a research design strategy -- Establishing trustworthiness Chapter 5: Desk-based research Introduction -- Types of desk-based research -- Doing a literature review as a desk-based project -- The main steps when carrying out a literature review as a desk-based project -- Doing a systematic review -- Doing realist reviews -- In summary Chapter 6: Fixed designs Introduction -- General features of fixed designs -- Establishing trustworthiness in fixed design research -- True experiments -- Designs involving matching -- Quasi-experiments -- Single-case experiments -- Non-experimental fixed designs -- Sample size in fixed designs Chapter 7: Flexible designs Introduction -- General features of flexible designs -- Research traditions in qualitative research -- Case studies -- Ethnographic studies -- Grounded theory studies -- Other traditions -- Sampling in flexible designs -- Establishing trustworthiness in flexible design research Chapter 8: Multi-strategy (mixed method) designs Introduction -- The quantitative-qualitative incompatibility thesis -- The mixed methods movement -- Types of multi-strategy designs -- Designing and carrying out multi-strategy research -- Pragmatism, realism or `anything goes'? -- Dealing with discrepancies in findings Chapter 9: Designs for particular purposes: evaluation, action and change Introduction -- Evaluation research -- Action research -- Intervention and change -- Researchers and practitioners Chapter 10: Ethical and political considerations Introduction -- Ethical codes and guidelines -- Ethical issues -- Researcher safety and risk -- Working with vulnerable groups -- General ethical responsibilities -- Ethical review boards and committees -- Politics and real world research -- Sexism, racism and social research PART III: TACTICS -- THE METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION Chapter 11: Surveys and questionnaires Introduction -- Designing surveys -- Carrying out a sample survey -- Designing and using a questionnaire -- Diaries -- Sampling in surveys and elsewhere -- Probability samples -- Non-probability samples Chapter 12: Interviews and focus groups Introduction -- Types and styles of interviews -- General advice for interviewers -- Content of the interview -- Carrying out different types of interview -- Focus groups -- Dealing with interview data -- Skills in interviewing Chapter 13: Tests and scales Introduction -- Measurement scales -- Other scaling techniques -- Using existing tests and scales -- Developing your own test Chapter 14: Observational methods Introduction -- Observation in real world research -- Approaches to observation -- Participant observation -- Getting started as a participant observer -- Structured observation -- Deciding on a coding scheme -- The use of existing coding schemes -- Developing your own scheme -- Coding sequences of behaviour -- Reliability and structured observation Chapter 15: Additional methods of data collection Introduction -- Unobtrusive measures -- Content analysis of documents -- Secondary data analysis -- Introduction to a range of more specialist techniques -- Internet-based research -- Feminist research methods -- Using multiple methods Chapter 16: Writing a project proposal Introduction -- How to recognize a good proposal -- The content of a research proposal -- The problem of pre-specifying flexible design studies -- Shortcomings of unsuccessful proposals -- Sources of funding PART IV: CARRYING OUT THE PROJECT PART V: DEALING WITH THE DATA Chapter 17: The analysis and interpretation of quantitative data Introduction -- Creating a data set -- Starting data analysis -- Exploring the data set -- Exploring relationships between two variables -- Exploring relationships among three or more variables -- Analysing differences -- Quantitative analysis and different fixed design research strategies Chapter 18: The analysis and interpretation of qualitative data Introduction -- Types of qualitative analysis -- Using the computer for qualitative data analysis -- Dealing with the quantity of qualitative data -- Thematic coding analysis -- Data analysis in grounded theory studies -- Alternative approaches to qualitative analysis -- Integrating qualitative and quantitative data in multi-strategy designs Chapter 19: Reporting, disseminating and moving forward Introduction -- Reporting your findings -- Ethics and reporting -- Reporting fixed design research -- The scientific journal format -- Reporting flexible design studies -- Reporting on multi-strategy design studies -- Reporting on case studies -- Reporting on literature reviews -- Writing for non-academic audiences -- Alternative forms of presentation -- Writing skills -- Where next? Appendix A: Using specialist software for quantitative analysis Appendix B: Using specialist software for qualitative analysis

"Research methods as a field of study is a core part of many degree programs, while applied research is a common responsibility in a wide range of public and private sector fields including healthcare, teaching, social work, business management, architecture, and accountancy. Bringing together materials and approaches from different social science disciplines, and recognizing the value of both quantitative and qualitative approaches as well as mixed-method designs, Real World Research is essential reading for many courses at both undergraduate, taught postgraduate and doctoral level, as well as practitioners and others carrying out applied research as part of their job. The text is accessible to those without a social science background, and provides a clear route-map of the steps needed to carry out a piece of applied research to a high scholarly and professional standard. It includes rigorous and fully up-to-date coverage of contemporary issues and debates. An extensive website provides additional resources including examples of research, further discussion of issues, links to journal articles and other useful resources, annotated lists of further reading, and PowerPoint slides"-- Provided by publisher.