Tim May – författare

“In this era of bountiful visual, qualitative and informationalised knowledge of the social world a conscientious guide to social research is ever more valuable…this is a knowledgeably written, highly engaging and genuinely interesting book."

Dr Pamela Odih BSoc.Sc. PhD. Senior Lecturer Goldsmiths University of London, UK

“A timely focus on intersectionality, decoloniality, as well as digital, participatory, collaborative methods and the relationship between knowledge, power and action, are all compelling new additions”

Anastasia Christou, Associate Professor of Sociology, Middlesex University, UK

“This is the best kind of companion for social researchers: a clear, concise, and practical overview of the foundations of the field…grounded in critical reflection about ethics and power, and skilfully assembled to both support and inspire.”

Dr Oliver Escobar, Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh, UK

“The longevity of May and Perry’s ‘Social Research’ is richly deserved…combining a sophisticated approach to the unity of theory, method, and context, with clarity and approachability.”

Malcolm Williams, Professor and Co-Director of the Q-Step Centre, Cardiff University, UK 

“Equally valuable for the newcomer and the experienced researcher, the book is elegantly structured and beautifully written, as is always the case with May and Perry’s work.”

Davydd J. Greenwood, Goldwin Smith Professor of Anthropology Emeritus, Cornell University, USA Corresponding Member, Spanish Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences

Fully revised and updated, Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process 5th edition bridges the gap between theory and methods in social research and clearly illuminates these essential components for understanding the dynamics of social relations. 

The book is divided into three parts. Part One examines the issues and perspectives in social research, Part Two discusses the methods and Part Three is devoted to reflections on the process of research. Updates to this edition include:

• Two new chapters on working across boundaries and digital research, reflecting critical developments that are shaping the landscape of social research

• Broadening consideration of issues including intersectionality and de-colonial research methods, along with the relationship between knowledge, power, and action

• Revised ‘Discuss, Discover, Do’ sections with expanded suggestions for follow-on activities

• Carefully integrated reflections and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic throughout to draw attention to critical issues

The authors aim to support and inspire, with a clear and accessible writing style that enables students to identify the key issues in social research and how to successfully navigate them. Social Research 5e is the ideal companion to social research for students across the social sciences and for academics and practitioners wishing to remain well-informed on key developments in the field.

Beth Perry is Professor of Urban Knowledge and Governance, and Director of the Urban Institute at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Tim May is a Professorial Fellow at the University of Sheffield, UK and an Honorary Distinguished Professor at the University of Cardiff, UK.

How is reflexive practice shaped by the contexts and cultures in which researchers work?

How might research practice respond to twin demands of excellence and relevance in the knowledge-based economy?

Thinking reflexively about the inter-relationships between social research and societal practices is all the more important in the so-called knowledge economy.

Developing reflexive practices in social research is not achieved through applying a method. Where and how researchers work is fundamental in shaping the capacities and capabilities to produce research as content and context lie in a dynamic interaction.

This book not only provides a history of reflexive thought, but its consequences for the practice of social research and an understanding of the contexts in which it is produced.

It provides critical insights into the implications of reflexivity through a discussion of positioning, belonging and degrees of epistemic permeability in disciplines. It is also highly innovative in its suggestions for ways forward in research practice through the introduction of active intermediaries.

Overall, the book offers an exciting new position on reflexive research that will generate much debate through its successful achievement of two difficult feats: providing essential reading for orientations on reflexivity and social research in the twenty-first century and making a landmark contribution to thinking and practice in the field.

Social Research and Reflexivity is suitable for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and social researchers in general across a number of disciplines including geography, social research, management and organizations; economics, urban studies, sociology, social policy, anthropology and politics, as well as science and technology studies.

How is reflexive practice shaped by the contexts and cultures in which researchers work?

How might research practice respond to twin demands of excellence and relevance in the knowledge-based economy?

Thinking reflexively about the inter-relationships between social research and societal practices is all the more important in the so-called knowledge economy.

Developing reflexive practices in social research is not achieved through applying a method. Where and how researchers work is fundamental in shaping the capacities and capabilities to produce research as content and context lie in a dynamic interaction.

This book not only provides a history of reflexive thought, but its consequences for the practice of social research and an understanding of the contexts in which it is produced.

It provides critical insights into the implications of reflexivity through a discussion of positioning, belonging and degrees of epistemic permeability in disciplines. It is also highly innovative in its suggestions for ways forward in research practice through the introduction of active intermediaries.

Overall, the book offers an exciting new position on reflexive research that will generate much debate through its successful achievement of two difficult feats: providing essential reading for orientations on reflexivity and social research in the twenty-first century and making a landmark contribution to thinking and practice in the field.

Social Research and Reflexivity is suitable for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and social researchers in general across a number of disciplines including geography, social research, management and organizations; economics, urban studies, sociology, social policy, anthropology and politics, as well as science and technology studies.

Written in an accessible style by experienced academics and professionals, the book examines: the issues which inform practice - training, skills and competences, antidiscriminatory practice, autonomy and accountability, masculinity and the causes of crime; the contexts in which work with offenders take place - probation committees, boards, pre-sentence reports, community penalties, prison, and the community; and the outcomes of good practice - including partnerships against crime, efficiency, effectiveness and an evaluation of crime prevention and broader methods of intervention.

Reflexivity – the critical examination of how we see the world – is integral to good research practice. From this state-of-the-art, accessible tour of its history and contemporary relevance, readers will learn of its importance to social research and to society generally. The text introduces a host of influential thinkers and their key ideas on reflexivity, and incorporates examples from a range of disciplines and research settings. Drawing on the authors’ extensive experience of real research settings, this book:

The result is a book that provides students and researchers in the social sciences with the knowledge and understanding necessary not only to examine the role of reflexivity in contemporary life, but to apply it in their own research practice.

Reflexivity – the critical examination of how we see the world – is integral to good research practice. From this state-of-the-art, accessible tour of its history and contemporary relevance, readers will learn of its importance to social research and to society generally. The text introduces a host of influential thinkers and their key ideas on reflexivity, and incorporates examples from a range of disciplines and research settings. Drawing on the authors’ extensive experience of real research settings, this book:

The result is a book that provides students and researchers in the social sciences with the knowledge and understanding necessary not only to examine the role of reflexivity in contemporary life, but to apply it in their own research practice.

Written in an accessible style by experienced academics and professionals, the book examines: the issues which inform practice - training, skills and competences, antidiscriminatory practice, autonomy and accountability, masculinity and the causes of crime; the contexts in which work with offenders take place - probation committees, boards, pre-sentence reports, community penalties, prison, and the community; and the outcomes of good practice - including partnerships against crime, efficiency, effectiveness and an evaluation of crime prevention and broader methods of intervention.