Applied Social Research Methods – serie

Looking for a practical guide to using mixed methodologies? Authors Abbas Tashakkori and Charles Teddlie explore the most resourceful way to combine qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Beginning with a discussion of the paradigm wars between positivism and constructivism, Mixed Methodology explains the differences between using mixed methods in only the research methodology portion of a study versus using mixed model studies across all phases of the research process, and then presents a typology of mixed methods and mixed model studies. The authors next examine sampling issues, reliability and validity questions, data collection procedures (including self-report techniques, questionnaires, observational methods, interaction analysis, and archival data/cultural artifacts), and data analysis techniques. Tashakkori and Teddlie conclude with detailed examples of current published and unpublished research that utilize mixed approaches. Researchers wanting to learn how to think about and utilize mixed methods in their studies will find this an indispensable guide for their work.

What is the most effective way for a researcher to read and analyze life-story materials? Using a new model for the classification of types of readings, Narrative Research shows readers how to read, analyze and interpret life story materials. The authors first introduce readers to four models of reading and interpreting a text: the holistic-content reading, the holistic-form reading, categorical-content reading, and categorical-form reading. They next present two complete narratives so that readers can compare the author's interpretations against the actual text as well as try to analyze the stories on their own. The subsequent chapters provide readings, interpretations, and analyses of the narrative data from the four models. Each of the examples is highlighted by sharing with the reader some of the processes of the researcher' work, including various considerations, doubts, self-criticism, and dialogues about the narratives. Readers wanting to learn more about life story research will not only learn the tools for doing this analysis, but will be inspired to contribute their own creativity to this developing field.

What is the most effective way for a researcher to read and analyze life-story materials? Using a new model for the classification of types of readings, Narrative Research shows readers how to read, analyze and interpret life story materials. The authors first introduce readers to four models of reading and interpreting a text: the holistic-content reading, the holistic-form reading, categorical-content reading, and categorical-form reading. They next present two complete narratives so that readers can compare the author's interpretations against the actual text as well as try to analyze the stories on their own. The subsequent chapters provide readings, interpretations, and analyses of the narrative data from the four models. Each of the examples is highlighted by sharing with the reader some of the processes of the researcher' work, including various considerations, doubts, self-criticism, and dialogues about the narratives. Readers wanting to learn more about life story research will not only learn the tools for doing this analysis, but will be inspired to contribute their own creativity to this developing field.

"Interpretive Interactionism argues strongly for a new approach to qualitative research methods. Writing primarily for established practitioners and advanced graduate students, Denzin seeks to fuse influences of symbolic interactionist, hermeneutical, feminist, post-modern, and critical-biographical thought into his personal approach to research, which he calls interpretive interactionism. This work cleaves to the forefront of the field through its unapologetic advocacy of the subjective, its emphasis on the biographical, and its appeal for experimentation in new writing conventions. Readers who want acquaintance with current thinking in the field will find it well synthesized in this volume. This is one of the simplest and clearest presentations of his work Denzin has offered in years."

-CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY 

"Interpretive Interactionism argues strongly for a new approach to qualitative research methods. Writing primarily for established practitioners and advanced graduate students, Denzin seeks to fuse influences of symbolic interactionist, hermeneutical, feminist, post-modern, and critical-biographical thought into his personal approach to research, which he calls interpretive interactionism. This work cleaves to the forefront of the field through its unapologetic advocacy of the subjective, its emphasis on the biographical, and its appeal for experimentation in new writing conventions. Readers who want acquaintance with current thinking in the field will find it well synthesized in this volume. This is one of the simplest and clearest presentations of his work Denzin has offered in years."

-CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY 

By integrating and translating the current methodological and statistical work into a practical guide, the authors of this text provide readers with a state-of-the-art introduction to the various approaches to doing meta-analysis.

By integrating and translating the current methodological and statistical work into a practical guide, the authors of this text provide readers with a state-of-the-art introduction to the various approaches to doing meta-analysis.

Click 'Additional Materials' for downloadable sample chapterMany managers and organizational leaders face shrinking budgets, growing competition, and changing organizational alliances and missions   A bewildering array of new technologies and management techniques offer help in handling these challenges. To respond effectively and avoid wasting resources, decision makers need to diagnose organizational conditions, plan changes carefully, and apply appropriate technologies and management techniques.

The Third Edition of the bestselling Diagnosing Organizations shows how consultants and applied researchers can help decision makers quickly and flexibly diagnose problems and challenges and decide how to deal with them.

Key Features

This thoroughly revised edition can help practitioners of diagnosis directly address concerns that are critical to clients, rather than just provide feedback on current conditions and operations. In an authoritative, yet readable fashion author Michael I. Harrison presents updated treatments of the uses of diagnosis, evaluating organizational effectiveness, improving team performance, planning organization redesign projects, and assessing organization-environment relations and competitive strategy. Also treated are the politics of change management, professional dilemmas, and ethical issues confronting practitioners.

Professors of research methods across the social sciences will find Diagnosing Organizations, Third Edition an invaluable text for their courses. The second edition was widely adopted in departments of Management, Public Health, Nursing, Education, Public Administration, Psychology, Criminal Justice, and many others.

Click 'Additional Materials' for downloadable sample chapterMany managers and organizational leaders face shrinking budgets, growing competition, and changing organizational alliances and missions   A bewildering array of new technologies and management techniques offer help in handling these challenges. To respond effectively and avoid wasting resources, decision makers need to diagnose organizational conditions, plan changes carefully, and apply appropriate technologies and management techniques.

The Third Edition of the bestselling Diagnosing Organizations shows how consultants and applied researchers can help decision makers quickly and flexibly diagnose problems and challenges and decide how to deal with them.

Key Features

This thoroughly revised edition can help practitioners of diagnosis directly address concerns that are critical to clients, rather than just provide feedback on current conditions and operations. In an authoritative, yet readable fashion author Michael I. Harrison presents updated treatments of the uses of diagnosis, evaluating organizational effectiveness, improving team performance, planning organization redesign projects, and assessing organization-environment relations and competitive strategy. Also treated are the politics of change management, professional dilemmas, and ethical issues confronting practitioners.

Professors of research methods across the social sciences will find Diagnosing Organizations, Third Edition an invaluable text for their courses. The second edition was widely adopted in departments of Management, Public Health, Nursing, Education, Public Administration, Psychology, Criminal Justice, and many others.

Sampling is fundamental to nearly every study in the social and policy sciences, yet clear, concise guidance for practitioners and graduate students has been difficult to find. Practical Sampling provides guidance for researchers dealing with the everyday problems of sampling. Using the practical design approach Henry integrates sampling into the overall research design and explains the interrelationships between research design and sampling choices. He lays out alternatives and implications of the choices using four detailed examples to illustrate the alternatives selected and the trade-offs made by applied researchers.

The author uses a narrative, conceptual approach throughout the book; mathematical presentations are limited to necessary formulas; and calculations are kept to the absolute minimum, making it an easily approachable book for any researcher, student or professional across the social sciences.

Accuracy, reliability, verifiable and error-free results - these are the goals that anyone involved in survey interviewing desires. A practical guide to producing standardized - and reliable - interviews, this volume represents a blending of social science theories of interviewing dynamics, the authors' own extensive research on interview-related error and a compilation of research evidence from other prominent methodologists.

How to avoid errors, sampling design issues, question construction methods, supervision techniques, training methods and the organization of data collection staffs are all thoroughly examined. In addition, prescriptions for improving the quality of survey data results are clear and concise. Both students learning survey research methods for the first time and experienced, active researchers will find this volume indispensable.

"The Terry E. Hedrick, Leonard Bickman, and Debra J. Rog text provides a framework for designing research that is adaptable to almost any applied setting and constantly reiterates the need for establishing and maintaining credibility with the client at each level of the research process. Although the applied research book is a practical guide, suitable to accompany any thorough applied design textbook, it does a comprehensive job of presenting the distinction between basic and applied research. It introduces many topics found in the general methodology textbooks. This overlap will help students to feel comfortable in using the general skills in a more specific and complex manner."

--Contemporary Psychology

"For researchers needing to know how to plan and design applied research projects, Applied Research Design will be a most welcome publication. . . . The writing is clear and concise, graphics are utilized helpfully, and this book will be much appreciated by beginning social scientists who are serious but uncertain about the methodologies possible for doing applied research."

--Academic Library Book Review

Aimed at helping researchers and students make the transition from the classroom and the laboratory to the "real" world, the authors reveal pitfalls to avoid and strategies to undertake in order to overcome obstacles in the design and planning of applied research. Applied Research Design focuses on refining research questions when actual events force deviations from the original analysis. To accomplish this, the authors discuss how to study and monitor program implementation, statistical power analysis, and how to assess the human and material resources needed to conduct an applied research design to facilitate the management of data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Appropriate for professionals and researchers who have had some previous exposure to research methods, this book will enable the development of research strategies that are credible, useful, and--more important--feasible.