Making Sense of the Social World

Book excerpt: Making Sense of the Social World is an engaging and innovative introduction to social research for students who need to understand methodologies and results, but who may never conduct the research themselves. It provides a balanced treatment of qualitative and quantitative methods, integrating substantive examples and research techniques, and is written in a less formal style than many comparable texts, with examples drawn from everyday experience: a text that students actually like to read!The text covers all the essential elements of social research methods including validity, causation, experimental and quasi-experimental design, and techniques of analysis - topics cited as most challenging for students. A student study site with journal articles and online interactive exercises, and chapter examples with emphasis on everyday experiences and current newsworthy issues assist student's understanding.This Third Edition now contains:- A new chapter with revised material on evaluation research- A new chapter on research ethics.- More contemporary web-based research instruction.- Updated End-of-chapter exercises, including new ethics exercises.- Boxed features: "When Things Go Wrong in Social Research"