Researching Social Life

This comprehensive and authoritative introductory student textbook covers the most widely used methods of social research, both quantitative and qualitative, emphasizing the connections between these forms of research and their theoretical underpinnings. The contributors draw from their own extensive research experience to illustrate the practical advice offered. A number of research projects are described in detail to illustrate methodological issues covered in the book.Researching Social Life outlines the main ways in which data are gathered, collated, managed and analyzed. It describes a range of ways to analyze data, such as survey methods, ethnography, documentary research, the secondary analysis of survey data as well as discourse and conversation analysis. The links between data, critical understanding and theory are highlighted throughout and ideas for student projects are provided.