Data Collection and Analysis (Published in Association with The Open University)

In simple and non-technical terms, the Second Edition of Data Collection and Analysis illustrates a wide range of techniques and approaches used in social research projects. Always accessible and engaging, this comprehensive text covers both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis in social research, considering both the structure and logic of research projects and the ethics and politics of research. A wide range of examples illustrate the text and a set of exercises runs throughout the book to aid the reader in understanding and planning research projects. Building on the strengths of the First Edition, this new and expanded version includes: - The addition of chapter introductions, summaries and key terms to guide the reader through the text - Three brand new chapters focusing on: research and information on the Net; discourse research; ethnographic and discursive qualitative analysis - Up-to-date examples of research in action - New material on questionnaire design, composite measurement and techniques of quantitative and qualitative interviewing An invaluable guide for students from across the social sciences, this wide-ranging volume is also a key resource for practitioners in a variety of applied areas including nursing, social work, the criminal justice system, teaching and education. PART ONE: DESIGN ISSUES Validating Evidence - Roger Sapsford and Victor Jupp Survey Sampling - William Schofield PART TWO: DATA COLLECTION Observational Research - Peter Foster Asking Questions - Michael Wilson and Roger Sapsford Research and Information on the Net - Roger Sapsford Using Documents - Ruth Finnegan PART THREE: DATA ANALYSIS Preparing Numerical Data - Betty Swift Extracting and Presenting Statistics - Roger Sapsford Statistical Techniques - Judith Calder and Roger Sapsford Analysis of Unstructured Data - David Boulton and Martyn Hammersley Discourse Research - Roger Sapsford Documents and Critical Research - Victor Jupp PART FOUR: CONCLUSION Ethics, Politics and Research - Pamela Abbott and Roger Sapsford