<p>What a wonderful guidebook for social science research. It leads the student from basic reflection on why to conduct social research, through epistemological tensions and ethical issues to the logistics of conducting different forms of social research. It is carefully structured with lots of examples of contemporary research coupled with details of classic work. It should both enthuse and guide the beginning researcher while providing support to the more experienced scholar. A required textbook for the social science bookshelf. </p> -- Michael Murray<br /><p>This is a clearly written, step-by-step guide that will help those carrying out a first social research project a great deal, and which will also be used by more experienced practitioners to supplement their knowledge. The author's own experience of research projects, and of teaching methods, is extensive. He draws on this to provide invaluable guidance, covering all the main approaches likely to be of use in carrying out a project, at a level that is at once accessible and impressively practical. I look forward to recommending this book to my students. </p> -- Clive Seale<br />This book provides an extremely useful guide to the basics of research, such as the fundamental characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research and their associated research questions. It is written in an accessible style without the complicated use of terms and details that often shroud research methods books. It is orientated toward the beginner who may not be familiar with the language of quantitative and qualitative research and who may be an undergraduate in the social sciences. It balances nicely attention to both quantitative and qualitative research, providing legitimacy for both approaches.<br /> -- John Creswell